Twisted Destiny
by Kiva Taliana
Summary: Modern AU. A boy called Arthur is kidnapped off the streets, and from that he finds out that people, places and events might not be what they seem. He is due to fight a battle, and everyone involved has their work cut out to get him ready.
1. Chapter 1

**Modern AU, not sure how it will pan out, but very adult references, sex and violence, and I am going to see how it goes. I also wanted a story where Arthur was a complete victim, so I made him one. **

Arthur walked out from the alleyway his throat burning. It was the only part of him that was warm. He stamped his feet as he walked out and shoved his hands back into his pockets, hunching his shoulders while he watched the man with the briefcase scuttle down the street. Arthur observed him without much feeling, despite the fact the man's cock had been down his throat minutes before. But he had seen the family picture in the wallet, as the man got the money out. He had flipped it quickly closed, maybe hoping Arthur hadn't seen it, or embarrassed because he just had. Either way Arthur didn't really care, the man had gone and he doubted he would see him again. Next time the man felt an urge, he'd pick another boy. Another time he'd return to Arthur but at that point they would have forgotten each other. It was entirely possible that Arthur had encounter him before, in another silent moment, nothing more than a transaction for him, and a furtive relief for the man with the briefcase. Who would no doubt be going home to his wife and children.

Coughing Arthur turned and spat into the shadows at the edge of the alleyway before stepping out onto the street. Cars were moving by slowly, others were speeding past trying not to get tainted by the road they were going down. Arthur watched them, waiting for the next one. He needed some more to pay his rent, he was behind, and it would be better to suffer another punter than have to go to the landlord empty handed. It wasn't much money to some, the amount that he owed, but it enough to Arthur to worry him. The small room he had wasn't a lot, but he needed it, and it was the best he would probably ever have.

"Here you go, get that in your mouth."

Arthur jumped and looked at Sophia, as she was known. It probably wasn't her real name. She held out a plastic bottle. Arthur took it and swigged a large mouthful from it. She had the bottle back before he had hardly lowered it from his mouth. He held the alcohol there for a moment before swallowing it down as slowly as he could, letting it burn, removing the taste in his mouth. He gave a strangled cough.

"That's a bit more pleasant," he strained to say. Sophia laughed.

"Make it last you cheeky git, how much did you get in your mouth?"

Arthur turned to her and grinned. "More than I wanted to tonight."

She settled back against a low wall. "You've had a good run, why don't you sod off and let the rest of us have a go, pretty boy?"

Arthur sat next to her on the wall, keeping a few inches distance from her. She didn't look offended by it; in fact she shifted a little further away from him. Arthur tried to push his hands deeper into his pockets and pressed his arms against his sides.

"The rent's due," he told her.

"Ah, bit behind are you, after the other day."

"Little bit," he confessed. "And as much as I have to accept the landlord fucking me a bit over the prices, he is not doing it literally."

Sophia started to laugh. "He's a letch. I was in one of his places over on the East Road. Tried it there as well."

"I think he'd try it everywhere," Arthur told her. Sophia however, had become distracted.

"Hello, who's this one for?"

They watched the sleek dark car move slowly down the road. It stopped just as it reached their position. Arthur slouched back as Sophia stepped forward, swinging her hips as she walked. The car moved, it didn't draw away from the kerb, it just hinted as it moved six foot down. Sophia paused, one hip dropping before she turned to look at Arthur, who was the only other person in the vicinity.

"Your lucky night, pretty boy."

Arthur shrugged and got up. The car could move on the second he got close, if whoever was in it didn't like the look of him. However as Sophia stepped back and he came forward the car stayed where it was. Arthur walked to it, looking at the length of it carefully. It looked expensive enough that the punter could be sitting in the back. It wasn't always the case, but he had one every other week that had a similar car. Arthur knew whoever wanted him now wasn't him. That one always came on a Wednesday.

He paused a few steps away, only moving when the back window slid down. Pressing his hands in deeper into the pockets of his jacket he stepped forward and bent down to look into the interior. The warmth hit him first. The heating was on, it would be worth getting into the car just for that, Arthur thought. He looked at the man in the back. It surprised him, he was younger than Arthur expected, in his thirties perhaps. His hair was slicked back, but curls were falling forward around his ears. He was well dressed, in a suit, and one hand was moving nervously over the leather seat, pulling on a seatbelt clasp, in an unconscious gesture. He eyed Arthur steadily but the man inside seemed unable to continue. Arthur took in the gesture, and reticent and measured that up to decide it was this guy's first time; paying for it anyway.

Arthur smiled and decided to open up proceedings. "Hi. What are you looking for?"

The man recovered himself. "You."

Arthur raised his eyebrows, and gave his best professional smile. "That's direct enough. What part of me do you want?"

"All of you."

"I don't get in the car without getting the money first." Arthur pulled one hand out of its pocket and put it into the car. At least one limb could benefit from the warmth. The man scowled at him.

"And how do I know you don't just take the money and run?"

"You don't, you just have to trust me."

The man looked less than impressed by that, but he seemed to think and then made a decision. Reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket he pulled out a roll of notes and pulled a few off. Arthur watched him, keeping his face impassive. The man held them up, but it was out of Arthur's reach, to get them he would have to either lean in, or open the door. He looked at the money, making a calculated decision. The man looked harmless enough, and a little nervous, Arthur thought that if it came it, he could handle him. He didn't know about the driver, the front of the car was shielded by a dark pane of glass. Still, he looked back at the money, which meant the rent would be dealt with, and some left over. That wasn't a bad thing, and with that money, and the look of the guy, Arthur guessed it would be a full monty instead of a mouthful.

He retracted his arm and opened the door, sliding in, slipping over the wheel arch by the door and keeping one foot on the kerb. Arthur looked at the man, who stayed where he was. He didn't offer the money out, nor did he pull it back. Arthur reached out and took it from his hands, then slowly he moved further into the seat, still keeping by the door, which he closed and he flipped through the notes as the car pulled away. Arthur tucked the money away in the top pocket of his hoodie and he zipped it closed.

As the car started to speed down the road Arthur settled down, keeping his own space. His companion didn't seem to press that issue, although he looked at Arthur closely. Arthur settled down and smiled.

"So, do you have a name?"

"Leon," his companion responded. "And you?"

"Ryan," Arthur said casually. He never gave his real name, but he watched as Leon's eyes widened a little, then he relaxed, and settled back. Arthur watched him curiously and then felt reminded of the money in his pocket.

"There's a place you can pull up, just over here, or do you want to keep driving while I do it."

"I know somewhere else," Leon said. "It's not much further."

Arthur slid down, putting his feet up against the seats in front of him. Leon looked a little pained and Arthur slowly dropped his feet.

"I won't get out of the car unless you pay me more," Arthur said.

"No, I don't expect you to get out of the car."

"Okay," Arthur said. It sounded like a stupid rule but Sophia would have the number plate in her mind and if needs be she would call it in. It was not a perfect rule, but it was, for Arthur, hardly a perfect world.

"I have another friend with a car like this, only his has a bar."

"Press the button there," Leon said. Arthur leant forward to do that and he looked at the door that moved back and the cabinet that swung out. Arthur gawped and laughed.

"This is like something from James Bond! That is just… do you rent this car out for stag nights and shit?"

"No, I do not."

"Fine, but, can I?" Arthur asked, pointing at the drinks cabinet. Leon shrugged and waved a hand.

"Help yourself."

"Do you want something? It seems a bit rude, I'm raiding your drinks cabinet without you getting something."

"A whiskey," Leon said. Arthur smiled at him. They were getting a bit of a rapport going. If this guy wanted regular stuff, it might do him another night, not his other Wednesday. Arthur had his guy for that, he paid well, and was nice. Arthur wasn't dismissing him for someone new. But new guy, Leon, could have another night.

"There you go," Arthur said, passing over a very full glass. "Oops, I think that shot size is 'alcoholic's wet dream' size. Sorry. Can I have a go at the vodka and coke, in less biblical proportions?" He kept the conversation inane, and friendly, as if what he was doing, and about to do, in a complete strangers car was perfectly normal. Even with the worst of customers it seemed to keep them calm.

Arthur got his drink and sat down on the floor of the car, facing Leon. He glanced outside seeing the city move around them. Arthur knew where he was, always good to know. He sipped his drink and eyed Leon.

"So… are we doing it while the car moves or parking up or what? And I know you don't look weird but I don't do anything strange. What do we do now, I don't want to waste your money."

"You won't," Leon said. Arthur sat back.

"Do you want to talk a bit first, because it's not exactly big on personal information, we can do the weather, and X-factor…"

"I hate that!" Leon said.

"So do I, Simon Cowell is a glorified pimp. Not that I would want him ever managing me."

"Do you have someone that does that?" Leon asked.

"Yeah," Arthur shrugged. "He's not bad, not great, but he doesn't screw you over as bad as some others might."

"You don't talk in names."

Arthur shook his head. "No, I don't. Can I get another?"

"Of course, have what you like."

"Are we just going to talk all night?" Arthur asked as he turned to get his drink. "Because I don't mind that, but I just don't do personal talk, if you are one of those people trying to do that whole get inside the head thing. I'll fuck you, but just don't expect me to… shit!"

Reflex made him throw the drink in Leon's face. The needle glanced off his collar bone as it missed and jabbed into his chest. Leon shoved the plunger down and pushed him back.

"Fuck! Fuck!" Arthur swore as he struggled away, lashing out at him. Leon shifted away from him and then kicked up, driving his knee into Arthur's body. Arthur felt himself lifted into the air, slamming himself hard against the partition between the back and front seats. The drinks cabinet shattered as he kicked it, shards of glass splintering everywhere.

Arthur was aware of falling onto the floor, feeling the wash of liquid over his back, hoping there was no glass shards involved. He struggled up again as Leon hit the pane of glass separating them from the front.

"Drive, now!"

Arthur struggled up, but his body was starting to feel heavy. He tried to pull himself up but as Leon pushed him down again he went with the force. He felt his body moved on the floor to avoid the glass scattered over it. Leon rolled him carefully, so he was lying face down. Arthur blinked, breathing heavily as he tried to get up but couldn't seem to move. Leon sat over him, talking. Arthur couldn't work it out for a moment as Leon spoke to the open air.

"Sorry, I should have put the sedative in the drinks, he'd have drunk one without hesitating. I don't think I waited long enough, I just took a chance, the drug isn't taking."

Arthur lifted his head enough to realise that Leon was talking on the phone. Leon applied more weight to hold him down as he met Arthur's gaze. Arthur put more work into his fight, concentrating on his limbs and trying to move them. He felt the car take several corners on its flight, to wherever it was going. The rocking of the car told Arthur it was going at speed. He put a little more effort into getting up, knocking Leon sideways.

"Shit!" the man swore and dropped his phone. They had another brief tussle. Arthur was almost up when the car lurched suddenly, sending him head first into the door, stunning him for a moment. Leon took the advantage, he kicked Arthur in the ribs and got him back on the floor of the car, taking an arm and twisting it up his back and planted a knee into the small of his back. Arthur gasped as most of Leon's weight bore down on him. His vision was starting to blur but he wasn't sure if that was the drug, the knock to his head or the lack of breath. Leon released the pressure and Arthur gasped.

"Get off me!" he snarled trying to control the panic rising in him as he wondered what the hell he had got into. Sophia might wonder what was going on if he didn't return within time, but if she got distracted by a customer, then she might not even bother to remember.

"Sorry," Leon said, sounding like he actually meant it. Arthur twisted, trying to look over his shoulder. He managed to glimpse Leon, looking worried but with another syringe in his hand. Arthur struggled again as Leon pressed down on his shoulder and arm, pulling at the neck of his top, trying to find somewhere to inject him.

Arthur swore, and then rolled his eyes. "Don't," he begged Leon.

He didn't listen, he gave up trying to get Arthur's clothing out of the way and just slammed the needle into the muscle of the arm he had pinned. Arthur gasped, gritting his teeth and panting as he felt the sting of something injected into him. His muscle burned for a moment. He saw the syringe thrown into the mess of glass and liquid on the floor. Leon stayed on top of him, holding him down as Arthur blinked, trying to keep his vision clear, fighting to stay alert.

They both jerked as the car went over a bump at speed. Arthur gasped for breath again, feeling his body weakening. Leon didn't release him, even though he felt Arthur's body relax under him. He didn't dare. Arthur struggled again as the car came to a halt but there wasn't as much fight in him as previously. Arthur's eyes flickered closed then he opened them again, but it was a fight, his eyes rolled in his head and Leon risked letting him go. Arthur attempted to struggle up away from him, but he sagged back onto the floor as the car door opened. Leon looked up, his face filled with shock and remorse.

"I'm sorry sir, he put up a hell of a fight." Arthur heard him say.

"Is he injured?"

Arthur flinched as the person by the door touched the back of his neck. His body wasn't co-operating so he put as much effort as possible into at least staying conscious. He could see two figures by the door but they were nothing more than blurred shadows.

Uther looked down at the semi-conscious boy and then turned to the one stood next to him. Merlin looked back before eyeing Arthur's prone form.

"I don't think so," Leon said. He tried to check, Arthur gave a groan and flinched again, not wanting to be touched by any of them. He did little more than raise himself a little and then crash sideways into the seats. Uther looked at Merlin in concern. Merlin shrugged and then reached out a hand to lay it on Arthur's head, making him whimper.

He had to put up people touching him, if they paid for it, but he didn't have to tolerate it when he had a choice. Arthur was also fairly certain he didn't have to tolerate being kidnapped and drugged but that appeared to be happening. It was his last thought before Merlin calmly said.

"Sleep."

His eyes flashed gold as he spoke and Arthur relaxed completely, closing his eyes and lying still. Leon huffed out another breath and sat back against the far door of the car. Uther looked up and glared at him.

"What the hell happened?"

Leon cringed a little, and opened the door, clambering out of the far side. He walked around the back of the car to stand with them.

"I thought I caught him at a distracted moment, he turned round before I could get the first injection in. Then I didn't get enough of the drug into him, and he started to fight."

"Hardly surprising," Gwaine said, getting out of the driver's door and walking round. "Maybe Merlin should have done the pick up."

"That wouldn't have been very believable," Merlin reasoned, glancing down at himself.

"And Uther would have just been too… well… ew!" Morgana announced, her heels clicking as she crossed the floor to join them. "At least we got him."

"Is there any sign of hostility?" Uther asked.

"Other than your boy there, no, but I dare say they know we've tracked him."

"I need to get him into the circle. That can fix any damage to him as well. It will conceal him until we can make arrangements to move him," Merlin said. Uther nodded looking down at the boy sprawled on the floor of the car. Reaching out he brushed Arthur's hair back off his face.

"He has his mother about him."

His fingertips traced over Arthur's cheekbone. Arthur didn't react, he lay still and silent.

"Why did she do this to him?"

"We don't know what happened, or what Igraine did," Merlin said calmly. "Or even how she did it."

"How long will he sleep for?" Uther asked Merlin.

"A few hours, I just helped the drug in his system. Enough time that I can get the spell set up around him."

"Is he going to stay in there?" Gwaine asked, looking over the open door at a now sleeping Arthur.

"Actually, I think we have to make him."


	2. Chapter 2

Arthur's head felt like it was going to explode. He reached up to rub it with his hand. It didn't particularly help, and after a while it started to make it worse. There was a dull throbbing deep in his head, making it feel like his brain had become just a little too big for his skull. Slowly Arthur opened his eyes.

"What the fuck?" he asked under his breath, closing his eyes again as the lights made him flinch. There was a clanking of metal and Arthur didn't pay much attention. One hand automatically went down to the pocket of his hoodie, the one that usually held his money. He didn't need to open it to realise it was empty.

Arthur sat up abruptly, rubbing his eyes, wincing as something rattled close to his head. He looked down at his hands and the cuffs locked on his wrists.

"Shit!" he hissed, pulling at them, one wrist and then the other. "What the fuck?"

Kneeling up he looked around, following the line of the chains on the floor. There was a good two metres of chain running from each handcuff, meeting at a point on the floor. Arthur yanked on the chains again, looking at the point they were secured into the concrete. They were held down by a heavy duty bolt. Arthur grabbed the secured lengths of chain in his right hand and yanked, trying to shift the bolt. It refused to give. Arthur added his other hand, and he slammed his foot against the bolt. He tried to loosen it, but it wasn't about to give easily.

"That's not going to work," a voice told him helpfully.

Arthur swung round, landing heavily on his backside as he off balanced. He glared at the boy stood close by. He was tall and lean, with a mop of dark hair and he smiled as he realised he had Arthur attention.

"Sorry about that, but we need to keep you within the circle here," Merlin pointed at the designs on the floor. "I'm Merlin, by the way."

Arthur just glowered and yanked on the cuffs again, struggling to pull his hands out of the restraints. It did nothing more than make his wrists and hands ache, so he stopped for a moment, flexing his fingers.

"He's woken up, is he all right?"

Arthur glared at Leon. "Where's my money?"

"I think you'll find it's mine."

"Not all of it, and I think I damn well earned what you gave me, you fucking weirdo. What the hell is going on?"

"You just have to stay there for a while. There are others that will know you are with us."

"Good, hopefully they can get me out of here, and you can be locked up, like you deserve. And I want my money back, you can keep your own, I want mine, you didn't bloody earn it, and you are not thieving it off me!"

"What is going on?" a new voice demanded.

"He's awake, Sir," Leon said.

"I can see that," Uther said, looking around and locking his eyes on Arthur's. Arthur carried on trying to yank himself free.

"You are in so much trouble, you can't go kidnapping people off the street! And I don't know what you are smirking at you thief! That was my money!"

Leon's face straightened up. Merlin turned and walked over to him and held out his hand.

"Give me the money."

"You don't seriously think that I stole it!"

"You searched him and were ordered to remove everything from his pockets," Merlin said. "Which you did, what else did you find?"

"He had a knife in his back pocket."

"Shame I didn't get a chance to use it!" Arthur yelled at him. He pulled so hard that he lost his balance, falling over and yanking his wrists again. Rolling over he went onto his hands and knees and glared around, staring at the floor as he looked at the designs drawn on the concrete around him.

"Give me the money," Merlin ordered Leon. Arthur watched Leon glance at Uther, who nodded. Leon did as he was told and Merlin walked over to Arthur, pausing a safe distance away and holding out his hand, with the neatly rolled up notes. Arthur leant forward. Merlin stretched over, Arthur couldn't quite reach due to the handcuffs and Merlin moved the money into Arthur's range. He snatched it out of his fingers and shuffled back a little, secreting the cash back in his pocket, pushing the notes about as he counted it.

"Sorry about that," Merlin said. Arthur looked up at him.

"Yeah, I've been kidnapped and drugged by a group of weirdoes but at least I can pay my rent," Arthur snapped. "Whet the hell do you want? You can't keep me here."

"Yes, we can," Uther said. "No one knows where you are."

"Don't walk on that!" Merlin shouted as Uther prepared to step forward. He backed off away from the edge of the markings on the floor. "Sorry, just don't walk on it, leave it alone."

"Is he safe in there Merlin?"

"Perfectly, but don't walk on it. I can do it but no one else," Merlin said. He turned back to Arthur. "There's some food there for you, you might be there a little while so if you need anything then you can just ask."

"I need to get the hell away from you lot, you assholes! You can't do this, and if you think I am eating this shit then you are dumber than you look!"

Arthur lashed out, kicking the plate of sandwiches away from him. He sent it spinning off across the thickly painted designs on the floor and he started yelling, hurling abuse, swearing and snarling at them all, picking out the worst things he could say. None of them moved. Merlin, stood closest, eyed him with childlike wonder, smirking every now and again at something he said. Arthur had heard it all, years on the street meant he had the talent to swear like a navvy. He was really getting into the swing of it when a strange whirring sound stopped him.

The plate he had kicked was spinning on the floor, rolling round and round, the angle of the spin lay low on the floor, almost as if it was about to stop. Except it didn't stop, in fact, Arthur watched with wide eyes as it did the opposite. It slowly rolled itself upwards, spinning faster and faster until it suddenly lurched up onto its side, resting on one thin end. Then very slowly it toppled over and disappeared between two lines of the drawing on the floor. Arthur watched it disappear, and his eyes were not deceiving him, it did literally just topple over and vanish into the concrete.

"Oh my god!" Arthur said, sitting back abruptly, eyes fixed on the spot where the plate had disappeared. Beyond it particles of the sandwiches lay, some vanishing into the ground, others rolling, some just laying there. Arthur felt his lower lip wobble and then clamped his jaw shut. It sent a pain up through his jaw, searing up over his cheekbone. He needed to get a tooth seen to, but he just couldn't afford it. If he clenched his jaw too hard, it hurt, so he avoided doing so. Now he did it on purpose, sending the shooting pain across his face, so he almost made his left eye water.

"Merlin?" Uther asked.

"That's why I said not to walk on it, the energy of the spell can draw things in. I'm safe."

"What about Arthur?"

Arthur frowned, glaring at Uther and then at Merlin.

"We need to keep him in there, we have to keep him cuffed."

"Yeah, well, 'him' can hear you and you are not getting away with this!" Arthur snapped. "You sick bastards! I don't know what you want but I am not playing your sick little game here. Let me go!"

"I'm afraid we can't," Merlin said, looking apologetic again. He watched as Arthur yanked on the chains again and Merlin murmured a word. The chains flashed and Arthur looked at them, tugging again. Merlin said. "You'll not get yourself free."

Arthur looked up and started hurling abuse. Merlin backed up in shock, eyes wide as he listened to the words out of Arthur's mouth. The two men on the edge of the drawings listened too and in the end Gwaine said.

"Are you done Merlin?"

"The spell is in place, but maybe I should…"

"Just come on, leave him alone," Gwaine said. He looked to Uther for confirmation. Uther nodded and Merlin started to back up.

Arthur yelled at them as they went to the door. He carried on shouting abuse but they ceased to pay any attention to him. Instead they opened the big metal door, rolling it back on its runners and then they closed it behind them. A second later Arthur was plunged into darkness.

"Hey! You can't leave me! You bastards!"

Then he fell silent, stood in the darkness. He looked around. There wasn't even the smallest sliver of light sneaking in from anywhere. Arthur scanned around, but there was nothing. Very slowly he sat down, using the chains to follow the line to where they were bolted down. He pulled at them again, trying to work it free, but he stayed quiet, feeling very small in the dark.

"What do you know, like a parrot, put him in the dark and he shuts up," Gwaine drawled from the other side of the door.

"Shut up Gwaine, what do you expect?" Merlin said. "I never knew that many swear words existed."

"Is he safe within the spell?" Uther said.

"Yes," Merlin replied. "It's not going to be easy though, is it?"

They turned and made their way up a set of metal stairs into a room that overlooked the main area of the warehouse. Morgana was typing on the computer, and on one screen was a night vision view of the warehouse. Arthur was now sat on the floor, curled up quietly, his head still moving around, trying to pick up noises and movement around him.

"Any sign of hostiles?" Uther asked her.

"None, we seem to have plucked him out of thin air and no one else is any the wiser. The DNA is confirmed, the test just finished. He is your Arthur. Perfect match between you and Igraine."

"They could have picked him off at any time, if they had found him."

"None of them did," Morgana said. "He seems fine, his heart rate is reading above normal, and his adrenaline but that could be expected all things considered. He is in a stressful scenario and has no idea what is going on. It's nothing beyond a normal reaction, we can monitor it," she said tapping away on her keyboard, glancing at the screens in front of her.

"Keep a look out on the perimeter. We are bound to get a few circulating," Uther said.

"I'm not sure we will," Morgana said. "This is the last place we expected to track him to. He has been well hidden in plain sight for nearly twenty years, yet no one has had so much of the merest hint of his location."

"Who would think to look for Uther Pendragon's son on the streets?" Gwaine asked.

"I didn't, until now," Uther said.

"Let's not judge just yet," Merlin said. "We don't know what's happened to him, and for heavens sake, give him some light."

Arthur jumped at the darkness suddenly changed. The lights hanging over the door blinked on, illuminating a small space by the door. Arthur watched and waited but no one came through. He looked around again. There were no more lights, and nothing from the darkness behind him.

"Hey! You can't leave me here!" he yelled. But the people that had done this thought they could, as he got no response. He knew there were enough strange people on the streets, and he knew what could happen. There was something everyday that he could see, evidence of his life being dragged down into a pit that he couldn't get out of.

It was just one of those weird cults. They were getting more and more popular as time went on. He met people on the streets trying to make things better, encouraging the people working there to get jobs and make themselves better. They made it sound so damn simple, and it wasn't. Arthur could hardly prove he existed, never mind proving he was employable.

This could only be what this was, one of those shock places that drag you off the street and try to make you more presentable. Arthur consoled himself with that thought; he wrapped it up inside and held onto it tightly. It didn't stop the fluttering in the pit of his stomach, the feeling that refused to remove itself. Nothing would console that. Arthur wedged his foot against the bolt again, and wrapping the chains around his hands pulled again. For a moment he was sure he felt something give.

He yelped as his foot slipped, sliding over the top of the bolt and he lost balance, slamming onto the floor, bruising his shoulder and scraping his leg and arm as he landed. Arthur lay there winded, sitting up again and looking around. He stared at the drawings on the floor, looking around. He was in the centre of them, in a perfect circle. As he turned he tried not to notice the lights flashing on the floor, running through the pattern. And he didn't want to think about the plate that had vanished through the floor.

That was another thing where rumours were starting to develop. Weird things were happening. Arthur read the sensationalist papers. They weren't real life. Why the hell did he want to read about that? For the last few years there had been all sorts of stories. People disappearing, desiccated corpses turning up and even, Arthur thought this one to be the best, two ramblers had apparently encountered giant scorpions in the woods. It was all so funny, and yet, Arthur found it oddly believable. There had to be something more to life, than what he found it to be.

"Hey! This isn't funny anymore!" Arthur yelled. "Probably wasn't funny in the first place," he muttered to himself.

There was no response, just the sound of his own breathing and the stillness around him.

"Look, I don't know what you want but…" Arthur paused, he didn't have an end to that. Instead he sat down his mind trying to process what was going on. His heart was still pounding and his stomach churning. He hadn't had anything to eat all day. The only thing he had had was the alcohol Sophia gave him and the vodka and coke he had drunk before Leon attacked him.

Very privately he wished he hadn't kicked the sandwich across the floor. He was hungry, so much so that he might have taken the risk of whatever was in it just to have something to eat. With the rent threatening food had become a secondary concern.

"Just one thing, one more thing!" Arthur yelled out into the air. "What do I do if I need the bathroom?"


	3. Chapter 3

There was no doubt he had fallen asleep. Arthur rolled on the hard concrete floor his neck aching, back suffering twinges and he was cold. He sat up feeling awful. In an attempt to make it better he rolled his shoulders, which made a spot just under his left shoulder blade start to ache painfully. He stretched his legs out, grimacing at the cramping pain in one foot.

Looking up he realised he was exactly the same place as he was last night, and it was not just a strange dream. He could look around now, properly. There were grubby windows running along the two sides of the building to his left and right, high up on the walls. Arthur surmised it was some kind of warehouse. From the right side, sunlight was streaming in through the windows, fighting its way through the streaks of grime on the glass. It was just enough to illuminate the room, so he got a good look round. They couldn't leave him in the dark now, which was he thought, nothing more than a trick to teach him a lesson. His very colourful vocabulary was obviously not appreciated. Merlin had looked shocked, but amused by the abuse Arthur had been hurling. Although Arthur guessed the youth was about the same age he was so that didn't seem surprising.

Yet, the others seemed to listen to him, and Merlin was the one that had drawn the designs and was presumably making them do whatever they were meant to do. Arthur couldn't quite work that out. He guessed the older man was really in charge, but Arthur really couldn't work out what they wanted. He wasn't exactly special but events didn't seem random.

He sat up and winced as he felt something jab into his leg. He looked at his jeans and winced realising there was a splinter of glass trapped in the material. He crossed his leg over in front of him, so he could reach the splinter and he spent a minute or so easing it out of the fabric, wrinkling his nose a little at the smell of alcohol. He pushed up the material and checked his skin for damage. There was a tiny graze but nothing more, he pulled his trouser leg down again and shifted so he was sitting cross-legged and carried on his examination.

His jeans had dried off overnight but as he wriggled his toes he realised his socks were still damp from the flood of alcohol when he had kicked the drinks cabinet. With nothing else to do Arthur pulled his damp baseball boots off and looked them over. They were frayed and threadbare; the once black material was now grey, and filthy from constant use. The soles had split months ago and the left one had a small hole on the ball of his foot. Arthur rummaged inside and pulled out the now very mushed cardboard that he had stuffed in it. It gave him some protection from the ground, and kept his feet a little warmer, not much but enough to make it tolerable. He did the same with his right shoe and pulled out clumps of damp card.

It had also stuck to his socks. He yanked them off and brushed them down as best as he could, then he wrung them out, shaking a few remaining drops loose onto the concrete floor. His feet were still damp and it would have been better waiting for everything to dry out but Arthur didn't particularly fancy that. It was too cold. Instead he pulled down the sleeve of his hoodie over his hand and rubbed his feet down. It warmed them up a little bit as well. He didn't feel that cold, but the temperature in the large room was not entirely comfortable.

Giving his socks one last shake, he gave them a quick sniff, wincing at the strong smell of drink on them.

"Great, I smell like a wino," he muttered and huffed.

He pulled the socks back on, tearing the right one a little as he yanked, making the hole on the heel a fraction bigger. He pulled the material about a bit, but the damage had been done, he was just going to have to live with it. In actual fact he probably should have bought some new socks and boots months ago, but there was always something else that he had to spend the money on, and it just got put aside. He wasn't exactly going to buy something expensive but even so he didn't want to spend money if he didn't have to. It might not be something he needed to worry about now, but Arthur supposed that it depended on what these people wanted to do with him.

He looked at the baseball boots, checking them for any signs of loose glass. There were a couple of tiny shards that he found sticking to the fabric, but they were mostly fine, or as fine as they were ever going to get. Arthur slowly pulled them on again, fiddling about with the laces, the chains getting in the way as he tried to push the excess coils of metal to one side. Arthur yanked them again, just for the sake of it.

Last night they were talking about the odd drawings on the floor protecting him. Arthur had no idea from what, but they clearly wanted him in there, otherwise they wouldn't have bothered cuffing him. Arthur poked them next. He wasn't getting out of them, all he had succeeded in doing with his struggles was making his wrists sore, in places he had rubbed the skin raw and his hands hurt now, the pain shooting up his forearms, the muscles aching dully and adding to his discomfort. He was also becoming aware of the pressure on his bladder, it wouldn't be long before he was desperate to pee. He wondered if it might damage the drawing on the floor, or disappear the same way the plate had. Arthur felt a little too shy to find out. He looked up again. Directly in front of him were another panel of windows that looked to lead to another part of the building, so he guessed someone was probably keeping an eye on him.

They didn't seem very interested at the moment. No one had been in to see him since last night, and they didn't appear to be too impressed with him. Arthur shrugged and pulled the material of his hoodie about to check the state of that. There was no way to remove it, thanks to the handcuffs. He brushed it off a little, but it hadn't been too badly affected by the flood of booze. On giving it a tentative sniff he simply picked up the damp smell of the streets, nothing different to how it usually was after a night at work.

He checked the pocket again, the money was still safe, but the knife was gone. There was nothing else in any of his pockets. It wasn't safe to carry anything while he was out. He hadn't even had a chance to use the knife, not that he ever fancied doing so, it just sometimes acted as a good deterrent. He hadn't expected Leon last night to be a threat. His Wednesday night man had the same sort of look about him, although he was considerably older. Arthur was just expecting him to be civilised. It just went to tell him that appearances were deceiving. And he hadn't picked up any sort of threatening vibe, it was like Leon was just doing his job, although Arthur started to think that he hadn't been happy picking him up.

Arthur straightened himself up and he looked around. The view hadn't changed, himself and Merlin's artistry were the only things occupying the place. There was a door to his far left, at the back of the room, if he could free himself he could try and get out. His head snapped back round again as there was a heavy clanking sound from the other end and the metal door started to slide. It sounded like there were some serious locks on the door, Arthur glanced back at the other door and presumed that was probably well secured, keeping him in.

He stayed sat where he was, waiting to see what would happen. Arthur blinked as Gwaine stepped through the door, rolling it shut behind him. This man hadn't said much last night, while Arthur had yelled at them. Now he regarded Arthur almost dispassionately, looking him up and down. Arthur glared back, feeling very sulky, but he didn't want to drive away the only company he had straight away.

"Good night?" Gwaine asked him pleasantly, making sure he didn't drop the items tucked under his arm, as he checked the door was secure.

"Oh yeah, it's like a five star hotel in here," Arthur snapped. Gwaine smirked and walked to the edge of the circle, looking down at the designs. Then he hefted the sleeping bag he had rolled up under his arm and threw it across the gap. It hit Arthur as he flailed to catch it, landing in his lap. Arthur spread it out and glared at the man opposite him.

"And you didn't think to give me this last night?"

Gwaine smiled and shrugged. "Only went to buy it this morning."

Arthur eyed him with narrow-eyed suspicion. True, the sleeping bag felt new, and the label was still on it, but Arthur got the feeling this man just hadn't bothered to bring it down to him.

"Really? You're not that organised when it comes to kidnapping people are you?"

"It's not like we make a habit of it," Gwaine said. Arthur glared at him and lifted his arm.

"And yet, you seemed to remember the handcuffs, and drugs."

"You need to stay within the circle; I don't exactly think you are going to do that willingly."

"How long am I stuck here for?"

"Another day Merlin thinks," Gwaine said, he didn't think there was any harm in telling Arthur that. He had been told to be careful exactly what he said, and Morgana was monitoring the conversation from the other room. If he went too far she would let him know.

"I'm going have to get out sooner than that, I need to piss." Arthur deliberately spoke in the crudest way possible, it made Gwaine's eyes narrow for a fraction of a second. Arthur smirked.

"I'd advise you to moderate your language, otherwise the moment Uther gets hold of you he'll wash your mouth out with soap."

"Oh yeah, what's it got to do with him how I talk? He's not my fucking father!" Arthur snapped. Gwaine tensed a little but kept himself composed and distracted Arthur by throwing the bucket he had draped over one arm at him.

"There you go, you can't get out, and even if Merlin could let you, he's asleep, that spell takes a lot of energy and concentration to build up. I'm not going to wake him."

Arthur winced back a little as the bucket flew at him, he dodged it but it struck his shoulder and bounced onto the sleeping bag, before rolling off onto the floor just to his left. Arthur looked at it, standing it up almost by reflex, getting the hint of what Gwaine meant.

"You have got to be kidding me! I can't do it in a bucket!"

"Oh, come on, don't be such a princess. It's only until tomorrow."

"Only!" Arthur yelped and then swore at Gwaine colourfully, spewing out as many insults as he could get. Gwaine shut him up by hurling the blue carrier bag he had looped over his other arm at him. It struck Arthur in the face, knocking him back and silencing him temporarily.

"Enough of that, and for the record my name is Gwaine. You really do have the most appalling manners."

"Sorry if I don't know the correct etiquette for dealing with kidnappers! My finishing school training didn't deal with that!"

Gwaine laughed. "You're funny, you know that."

Arthur glowered. "Yeah, stand up comedy or having sex with strangers for money, it was a tough choice."

He pulled at the handles of the carrier bag, they had been tied together to stop the items from falling out. Arthur looked down at a bottle of water, a packet of croissants and two chocolate bars.

"Breakfast, don't throw it away in another hissy fit, it's all you're getting," Gwaine informed him. Arthur looked up at him.

"You can't keep me here."

"Actually we can," Gwaine said. "No one has reported you missing, and you can't get out. I'm sure Merlin will be kind enough to empty the bucket for you when he wakes up."

Arthur glared at him. Now he had the means his body was really demanding he do what was necessary. Gwaine watched him curiously. Arthur shuffled back, pulling the sleeping back over his lap.

"I'm not doing it while you're here!"

"Not shy are you?" Gwaine asked. Arthur felt his eyes widen and his cheeks started to flush. He clenched his jaw to stop it trembling. Over the years he had been put through some humiliating circumstances. This one probably couldn't rate as the worst, once it got into retrospect, but it was the one that was happening now, and his nerves felt very raw.

Gwaine watched his reaction and his eyes seemed to roll, drifting toward the windows above the metal door. He looked back to Arthur and shrugged.

"Okay, have it your way," Gwaine said, he turned and headed towards the door without a backward glance. Arthur watched him go and then looked up to the windows. It confirmed that they were watching him, even when they were not in the room, which meant they would still see it all.

"Is that it?" Arthur yelled, not quite sure what he was complaining about, but he decided he might as well add to it. "And I need some clean clothes!"

"Yeah, you probably do," Gwaine said.

"You fucking wanker!" Arthur bellowed. He probably could have carried that on but since Gwaine just opened the door, stepped through and locked it up again Arthur decided it was probably pointless. The man was so annoying, Arthur could feel his temper simmering, and tears prickled at the corner of his eyes. Gwaine didn't seem to care at all that he was captive and helpless. It seemed like a run of the mill thing for him. Arthur felt the stirring of panic in him again, his stomach churning, and a sick, heavy feeling was settled deep within in chest, just under his ribcage. Arthur looked around. He had no choice. Either he did it into the bucket or he pissed himself. It was hard for him to tell which one was more humiliating. At least if he had it in the bucket, he was in with a chance of throwing it at someone.

Arthur glanced up at the windows again. Moving slowly he turned around so he was facing the far wall, eyes moving to study the landscape, hoping that no one could see him. He didn't exactly like flaunting himself, why anyone would assume that was a little beyond him. As he put the bucket in position and unzipped his jeans Arthur could feel his face burning with embarrassment. But he did it, he got through it, trying not to think about it. He didn't distract himself with other thoughts, that didn't work, instead he just completely blanked his mind out. None of it was there, none of it was happening, he was just floating somewhere, and it was dark, and calm and peaceful.

When he was done he put the bucket on the edge of the circle and set up the sleeping bag as far away as possible and he lay down so he was facing away from the door. He pulled the carrier bag with him. The last thing he wanted to do was take anything from these people, but he was hungry. He hadn't had anything yesterday, only the whiskey that Sophia had given him and the vodka and coke in the car. At the end of the night he had hoped to get something but what he had been offered he didn't want to take. He looked at the bag and pulled out the water. If nothing else he had to drink, his throat felt dry and sore, probably from all the shouting. He took a few sips and pulled out one of the chocolate bars. It was eaten in three bites, but he stopped there. Arthur could have eaten it all but it seemed, for the moment, the only way to rebel. He threw the rest aside and curled, up, holding his belly as if that could reduce the hunger cramps and he pulled his knees up, and fixing his eyes on the far wall, blanked his mind as best he could.

He wasn't sure how long he lay there. It didn't seem like much time had passed, but he had dozed on the odd occasion. He didn't have a watch. The shadows seemed to have moved in the room as the sun shifted in the sky, but again, he didn't really know how to measure it. Instead he just waited as the door opened again, at some point later in the day.

"You could have woken me," Merlin's voice said.

"You were exhausted, I think I could cope with giving the little princess some food and a bucket."

"Gwaine, don't call him that," Merlin reproached. Gwaine didn't answer. Arthur kept his eyes firmly fixed on the wall, not daring to look over his shoulder at them. He could just pretend to be asleep, but that seemed pointless. Instead he just sat there, pointedly awake but refusing to acknowledge them. He heard the scuffing of footsteps coming closer and the sound of the bucket being picked up.

"I'll just empty this," Merlin said. He shuffled away.

"Where are you going?" Gwaine asked.

"There's a sluice drain just over here," Merlin said and then that was followed by the sound of flowing liquid. Then the footsteps came back.

"Why is there a drain there?" Gwaine asked.

"For when they washed the floor down, it used to be an abattoir."

Arthur couldn't help his snort of laughter. "Oh, that is priceless. Make yourselves look like complete homicidal maniacs why don't you!"

"We're not," Merlin said, stepping closer and Arthur heard the bucket being put down. "You haven't had anything to eat."

"I had a chocolate bar."

"That's all you've had since yesterday," Merlin reasoned.

"Actually since the day before," Arthur informed him. "I don't want anything from you!"

"Except a sleeping bag," Merlin said gently. Arthur riled. He couldn't help it. It wasn't even said with any sort of edge. Merlin was just trying to talk to him, but Arthur couldn't even deal with that. He shifted on the floor, yanking at the sleeping bag to drag it out from under his body. As he pulled he heard the sound of ripping, but he didn't care, he yanked it clear of his body, so he was again lying on the concrete and he threw the sleeping bag over his shoulder, in Merlin's general direction.

"You know what, just keep it. I don't want damn anything. Next time I'll just piss on your bloody stupid scrawls!"

There was a pause, he heard Gwaine's sharp intake of breath. Merlin however said nothing for a moment. When he did, he sounded embarrassed.

"Erm, I didn't quite mean that… for you to… I mean, I didn't mean," Merlin stammered and then stopped. Arthur heard the sounds of tidying up behind him, the scrape of material and the rustle of the carrier bag.

"You need to have more to eat, we could get a pizza?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Maybe a burger?" Merlin offered.

"I am not hungry!" Arthur said, defying the sound of his stomach rumbling.

"You must be, look, at least have a bit more from what Gwaine brought." Merlin started rummaging in the bag, and then he looked up. "Gwaine, is this all you brought?"

"Yeah, it was the first thing I picked up."

"Croissants and chocolate?" Merlin snapped. "He needs something better than that.

Arthur slowly rolled his shoulder, turning so he could look at them. Merlin had his back to him, concentrating on Gwaine, who was looking at Merlin. Arthur propped himself up on his elbow and watched, thoughts slowly occurring to him. Merlin was important, if he could get hold of him, maybe he could make them let him go, get some answers.

"Merlin!" Gwaine yelled.

The youth spun his eyes widening as Arthur jumped up and grabbed hold of him. He grabbed Merlin's arm, hoping to pull him down onto the floor and pin him. Arthur looped up a length of chain, as he dragged Merlin down onto his knees he tried to get it around Merlin's neck. Merlin's face was filled with surprise, and shock and Arthur was close enough to see the reaction. Merlin's blue eyes suddenly changed colour, they were gold. For a moment they were gold. Arthur was too close to allow himself to be convinced otherwise.

Arthur yelped at the bolt of pain that ran through his shoulder. He let go of Merlin, who staggered up and away from him. Arthur sat on the floor gasping for breath as he cradled his right arm. Shockwaves of pain ran up and down, he couldn't even move it, and his fingers were tingling painfully, pins and needles driving along his skin.

"Merlin!"

They both looked at Gwaine who had pulled a gun. He moved around the circle so he could aim at Arthur without Merlin getting in the way. Not that Arthur could reach Merlin now. He was stood on the design, out of ranges. Lights were flashing around the drawings, where Merlin now stood. Merlin stared at Arthur, looking shocked.

"Merlin! Are you all right?"

The youth seemed to shake himself out of his daze and he glanced at Gwaine.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, there's no need for that!"

He then turned his attention back to Arthur and he stepped forward.

"Merlin, don't you dare!" Gwaine snapped. He raised the gun, Arthur flinched, although it probably wasn't lethal, Arthur didn't want to be hit by whatever it might shoot.

"Gwaine, I hurt him. I didn't mean to, I just want to check he's okay."

"No, Merlin!" Gwaine said, almost pacing up and down. Arthur sat cradling his arm, fear mounting into panic. One glance at Gwaine made him look down at the floor.

"I need to make sure he's all right," Merlin said.

"No you don't. He looks all right to me, just leave him. Merlin, step away now."

"We're supposed to be looking after him."

Gwaine shook his head. "My job is to look after you, simple as that. Now step away from him. He's conscious and he'll survive it, Merlin, leave him."

Arthur glanced up. Merlin was looking at him, his distress evident. He turned to glance at Gwaine, who waved Merlin over towards him with a sharp gesture. Looking a little reluctant Merlin backed up. He bit down on his lower lip and hesitated on the far edge of the circle.

"Are you all right? I didn't quite mean to do that," Merlin said. "You just took me by surprise."

"Shut up, Merlin," Gwaine said.

"I don't think he was really going to hurt me," Merlin said. "We can't leave him."

"Yes, we can, he's got food, water and something to sleep on. He just tried to attack you, you're my responsibility, so I deal with you first."

"I'm fine," Merlin protested as he was dragged away.

"You're shaking," Gwaine protested.

So am I, Arthur thought to himself. He swallowed heavily, keeping his lower jaw as steady as possible. Gritting his teeth he allowed the pain to shoot around his mouth, he focussed on that, while Gwaine took Merlin out of the room. Arthur hadn't wanted to hurt him, he just wanted out of this. With his good hand he pulled the neatly folded sleeping bag towards him, pressing his face into it, taking several deep breaths before he spread it out again. It took longer, his right arm throbbing with pain. Arthur didn't even know what Merlin had done to him.

Very slowly Arthur lay down and sighed. He guessed he really was not destined to make any friends this morning.


	4. Chapter 4

The group convened in the room above the warehouse. It consisted of three rooms; one large area which was presumably the main office, when the abattoir had been in operation, there was a side room, which Morgana guessed was a manager's office and the room tucked up one corner, down a short corridor appeared to be an old toilet. After locating the warehouse and setting up Morgana had shut the door that led to the toilet firmly, it was not an attractive place to be.

The side room now housed two makeshift cot beds, covered in sleeping bags. They were using them on a rota basis, so somebody was permanently on duty to mind Arthur, even if he never saw them.

In the main room a small fridge whirred over in one corner and in the centre was an old table that had been left from when the building had been shut down seven years ago. It was not in a good state, one leg had several books propped underneath it, and it had taken her nearly a full hour to clean the top off to make it respectable to work on. Now there were three laptops on it, and she had some folders piled high, next to where she was working on one of the laptops, typing away with great concentration, trying not to notice Uther stood by the windows that looked out onto the main floor. Morgana kept an eye via another laptop, which held the camera feed from the room beyond, keeping constant surveillance on Arthur.

The others came in quietly, looking at the scene. Gwaine went to switch the kettle on and he rummaged around the jars next to it, spooning coffee into mugs. Uther turned his head a fraction and shook it, in a hint he didn't want anything. Gwaine made something for the rest of them while Morgana finished typing and she lowered the screen of the laptop.

"Is he all right?" Merlin asked, peering through the windows, but staying a short distance away from Uther.

"He hasn't moved," Uther said.

No one had been in since Arthur's attempted attack on Merlin. Arthur was lying facing away from the window, resting on his left shoulder as the right was too sore to take any pressure. He was cradling it, keeping very still, and refusing any temptation to turn and glance at the windows behind him.

"Are you sure he'll he all right?" Uther asked again.

"I think so," Merlin said backing up and sitting down. Gwaine placed a coffee in front of him. "I'm sorry Uther, I hit him really hard, but he just surprised me."

"It was not your fault Merlin," Gwaine said, taking the seat next to him.

"I don't think it was Arthur's either, really," Merlin said. "Sorry," he added again to Uther as he came to sit at the table.

"Are you sure there won't be any lasting damage, physically?"

"I don't think so."

"I've taken one of those hits from Merlin, he'll be sore but fine," Gwaine said.

"You're stronger than Arthur is," Morgana said fiddling about with her paperwork. She placed one of the folders in front of her, it was bursting with paper. "And why the hell would he trust us? We've kidnapped him and are keeping him chained up; and making fun of him probably isn't helping."

"I wasn't making fun," Gwaine said trying to look innocent.

"What was it Arthur said back to you?" Morgana drawled. "It was a choice between stand up comedy and having sex with strangers for money. Did that not ring a few warning bells for you?"

"No," Gwaine snapped back. Morgana gave him an arched look and decided not to start a row.

"Well, myself and Leon spent our morning productively, we delved a little further into the background, now we know for certain he is Arthur Pendragon. He was never listed as such; a name change was never put on record. I found his mother, she took the name Merrick. Although there wasn't much reference to her immediately after she disappeared. Quite possibly that wasn't the only surname she used, she could have just used different ones wherever she went. She came on record using the name Merrick as far as I can find when Arthur was nearly three. She needed treatment for breast cancer, and she fought the disease for eighteen months. Arthur saw all of it. I spoke to one of the nurses that were there when Igraine had treatment. Arthur just used to sit with her, holding her hand."

"And when she died?" Merlin asked.

Morgana shrugged. "She had no one and presumably she never tried to find Uther."

"You don't know that," Gwaine said.

"If she had asked for someone to look for Uther Pendragon, don't you think we would have picked it up? We were searching for any trace of him, she must have known that the slightest lead would have been tracked by us," Leon said.

"Why didn't she?" Merlin said. "You were the best person to look after Arthur surely."

"She clearly didn't think like that," Uther said. "She ran, and didn't want to come back."

"So what happened to Arthur?"

"Foster care, a children's home for a long while. Nothing very sinister about it, he seemed quite happy, went to school and was doing well. Again I located one of the people that used to run it, Leon went to see her."

Morgana waved her hand and passed over to the man next to her, just for a minute or so. Leon started talking.

"She remembered Arthur, he was happy, nothing wrong with him. He had to move when he was almost fourteen. There were funding problems and they felt obliged to concentrate on the younger children, they needed the stability. Arthur was moved to another home, it was a facility for kids that had been in trouble and it was meant to be a short term measure until foster care could be arranged."

"So?" Uther asked.

"Then it started," Morgana said. "He got into trouble attacking one of the carers, who did it seemed, have a reputation for going into the rooms at night. Nothing was proven but Arthur marked himself a place in the facility, until he turned fifteen. Then he was left to fend for himself. The story explains itself from there."

"Really? What have you got here? Shoplifting convictions?" Gwaine read off one of the sheets from Morgana's pile.

"Always practical stuff, I noted," Morgana said. "Food mainly, medical supplies now and again, and these were the ones where he was caught. Chances are there were others. His first soliciting offence was just after he turned sixteen. Minor things followed, same pattern, just picked up for stealing, or soliciting, a few times it was just a caution. He had a place to live, a pimp who offered him some protection. He had two occasions back in the facility. He's never come on the radar as an adult, nothing more than a caution since he was eighteen, but the people that work as his pimp really don't want him off the streets. They have paid the last few fines. He's been surviving."

"A fully functioning member of society," Gwaine drawled.

"There wasn't much else he could do. He blotted his copybook at the facility. From what I can gather from the very sketchy incident reports, he was protecting another of the boys. The confrontation turned nasty. The officials had too much power and Arthur just got pegged as aggressive. It also meant they wouldn't re-home him anywhere else. I think he just got out of there as soon as he could."

"It certainly doesn't seem like an ideal scenario," Leon said.

"And all things considered, reading between the lines of the report, Arthur was probably sexually abused while he was there. Which more than likely led onto him working the streets. Finding it funny now Gwaine?"

He scowled at Morgana. "I never said I found it funny."

"You seemed to like winding him up," Morgana snarled.

"Gwaine!" Merlin's voice cut across the brewing argument. Gwaine looked at him in surprise. "Don't be an ass!"

For a moment Gwaine looked furious, but he only did that looking at Morgana, his expression changed as he faced Merlin. He looked a little sheepish instead.

"Sorry, but he hurt you."

"He didn't hurt me," Merlin said. "I hurt him, and all this happened before that."

"He was seconds from getting that chain around your neck."

"It wasn't to hurt me, it was to have something to bargain with," Merlin said. "And he didn't, I'm fine."

"Well, you do not go near him again, without me there and he stays the hell away from you."

"I think he's learnt that lesson," Merlin said. Gwaine didn't respond, hearing the concern in Merlin's voice. It had been a shock reaction on his part, when Arthur had grabbed him, and he hadn't meant to do what he did. It had just been reflex, and he had done so at close quarters. Arthur would be in pain and he had nothing to help with that.

"Can we just please get back to the matter in hand?" Uther demanded. "My son. Did you find anything else?"

"There was this," Morgana said, her tone changing a little. "I took copies of the news clippings, as well as trying to get into the police database. Not an easy thing but the incidents were well publicised."

"Oh my God," Merlin gasped, pulling one of the sheets closer.

"The newspapers take on it are sensationalist but that can be expected," Morgana said. "It occurred the spring time when Arthur was almost eighteen, so just over a year ago about… 14 months," Morgana said. "Arthur was the third victim, and the first male. The first incident was written off as a one off, guys in a van grab a prostitute, drive off with her, beat her up and rape her, dump her back when they found her. The second time, two weeks on, made it newsworthy. Older woman, but the same thing, and again a prostitute.

"Then, a week later, they grabbed Arthur, from the reports I have found, including his own, he was walking along the road just before the main area of the district, not far from where we found him. Same thing, drove up at speed, two men jumped out and dragged him into the van and made off. They had their faces covered."

"Shit!" Gwaine said, with some sympathy, reading over Merlin's shoulder. Morgana got out the police information she had managed to lift. It wasn't much. They all paused at the sound of paper being crumpled and tearing. Uther had several sheets in his hands, his fists clenching around them while he stared down at what he was doing, as if he could try and erase it by that action alone.

"I can stop," Morgana said. Uther shook his head.

"Just tell me."

"They drove off, parked up somewhere but Arthur's statement says he wasn't sure where. His injuries were severe, but not just defensive, he tried to fight back. Indications were that he was restrained at some point, presumably to keep him under control, something that hadn't occurred with the two women previously. Then once they were done he was dumped back, almost where they found him. He was found by a prostitute by the name of 'Sophia', presumably not her real name. She didn't even know Arthur's, always just called him 'pretty boy'."

"I saw her," Leon said, pulling the picture closer. It was a pathetic printout but he had seen her. "She was with him, she came towards the car before Arthur. I guess they used the same spot, when Gwaine drove on she backed up, Arthur came forward."

"What happened after that?" Uther asked.

"Again it made the news, but the fourth one really hit. The girl that was snatched later died of her injuries. That was when the media storm really started. The names of the victims were protected, but the police, couldn't find the van, which seemed to change slightly every time, or the men in question."

"After that?" Gwaine asked.

"They were caught on the seventh occasion. The boy was in the van, but they couldn't link it to any of the other incidents, not completely, there was no forensic evidence of indicate the others had been in the van," Morgana said. "And the defence said the previous victims did not make for reliable witnesses; their word against nice, well-respected, men, some of them with families. One of them sued a paper that named him for damages and won thousands of pounds, even though it was clear he was guilty as sin."

"Their names are on record?" Uther asked.

"Yes, I have them. Although there is nothing you can achieve by going after them. They got away with murder in the end, but they all live rather lonely lives, even the one that is still with his wife. I pretended I was someone trying to set up an Avon franchise in the area. She can't stand her husband, she is punishing him by staying there. Talked about it and hinted at it."

"That doesn't help Arthur."

"No, it doesn't, but getting distracted with them will do nothing. There is no way he is going to trust any of us. He probably doesn't trust anyone in his life. If he's been though that then he's just waiting for the hammer to fall. There is nothing we can do. Not immediately anyway."

"We can't leave him down there, how long until the spell completes?" Uther demanded.

"The camouflage is there, but the defences are not, none of it will be entirely reliable," Merlin said.

"Can we take him out of there?" Uther said.

Merlin nodded. "I can take down the spell, I was hoping to build in some defences, but it wouldn't have worked that far. The magic is solid enough that it will muffle his presence, in case anyone is on to us. I've not sensed anything close by but there have been enough instances of the power bleeding through."

"Like ramblers seeing scorpions," Gwaine said. "I expect a few people thought they had probably eaten a few mushrooms on their way through the forest."

"We know different," Morgana said. "And there have been increased reports of griffin sightings over in East Anglia."

"And why they are there, who knows," Gwaine said. Morgana smirked.

"Not sure, but the fabric is breaking down and magic is seeping through," she said.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing," Merlin said. Morgana smiled at him.

"No, of course not."

"So if we release Arthur, what's the plan? We have a lot of ground to cover to get him home," Leon said.

Uther turned to Morgana. "We've still got the rooms booked at that motel, haven't we?"

"Yes, I paid in cash, we are booked in for two more days."

"Right, we take Arthur there and get him cleaned up, as soon as he is ready we get moving," Uther said.

"He's not going to co-operate," Gwaine warned them. "And I'm keeping Merlin away from him, or at least I'm not leaving him unattended."

"Fair enough," Uther said. Merlin scowled in Gwaine's direction.

"I don't need a nanny," he said.

"No, you need a bodyguard, which is me, so you do as you are told." He reached out a hand and took Merlin's. Merlin looked at him ruefully.

"Okay," he said to Gwaine before turning to Uther. "Maybe we need to talk to him a bit, before we do so. At the moment he knows nothing, except the fact that a group of people have kidnapped him and are keeping him chained up in a magic circle. I don't think it's inclined to inspire trust."

"There is a limit to what we can really tell him," Uther reasoned.

"I think there is one thing we should tell him," Merlin said.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Arthur didn't move at the sound of the door opening up. It hurt too much to shift about. The pain had died a little, and his arm moved fine, but it just throbbed, the muscles aching like he had over worked them, and the nerve tingled like they had pins and needles. He was baffled as to what Merlin had done to him. The boy hadn't even struck him, but his hand had been on Arthur's shoulder, pushing him back as the bolt of pain had lashed into him.

There was no doubt that his eyes had changed colour, as if something had run through him. It was just a momentary flash but Arthur could only assume it was associated with the sudden pain he had felt, and was still feeling. He was in pain, he was tired, and he was frightened. No one had really gone out of their way to harm him. Arthur actually believed that Merlin's reaction had been an accident. They were trying to care for him, he supposed. It just wasn't very inspiring, chained up and just waiting for what they were really planning to do.

Footsteps echoed around the room. There was a click of heels, and the tap of shoes, and some shuffling. Arthur didn't move as he tracked the sounds and Uther walked into his eye line, Morgana followed, along with Leon, walking the other way around the circle. Arthur gave a huff and rolled over, it meant lying on his aching arm but for a moment he didn't care, until he made eye contact with Merlin, then Gwaine, who were waiting on the other side. Arthur flopped onto his back staring up at the ceiling. He rubbed his throbbing right shoulder, rolling it a little, it hadn't appreciated weight being put on it in the slightest.

"What now?" Arthur asked. Merlin shuffled a little nearer, Gwaine's jaw clenched but Merlin gave him a steady look and kept out of Arthur's reach, not that Arthur made any attempt to do anything. He didn't even look, he kept his eyes fixed on the ceiling above him.

"You haven't had anything else to eat," Merlin said, peering at the bag.

"I'm not hungry," Arthur said; a comment which was immediately contradicted by his stomach. Arthur put a hand on it, fist clenching on the material of his hoodie as if that could keep his body under control.

"All you've had for two days is a chocolate bar," Merlin said.

"Two actually, I had the other one."

"You could have eaten the croissants."

"I could have," Arthur said.

"If he doesn't want them I'll have them," Gwaine said.

"Gwaine!" Morgana, Merlin and Leon snapped simultaneously. It made Arthur raise his head a little, looking at a surprised Gwaine, then a worried Merlin, a rather confused Leon, a narrow-eyed Morgana. The last person Arthur glanced at was Uther, who hadn't shouted, his attention was unnervingly fixed on Arthur. Arthur went back to the contemplation of the ceiling.

"Well, I'm sorry but I don't feel very inclined to trust anything you give me. It kind of happens when you kidnap people."

"It was all sealed packets," Gwaine commented.

Arthur rolled his head to glare at Gwaine, and then he turned himself over, pulling his hood up over his head. When he spoke again his voice was muffled, but clear enough.

"Just piss off and leave me alone. Or just do whatever you are going to bloody do to me! I'm fed up with the whole fucking lot of you."

Morgana raised her eyebrows and looked around at the others. Uther was the only one who didn't seem to have reacted. Instead he was just staring at Arthur, eyes fixed on him and jaw set. Eventually he broke the tense silence.

"You're going to have to get very used to us, and moderate your language."

Arthur's head rose slightly. No one could see his face, as he brought his arms around his head to protect himself.

"Oh piss off!" Arthur couldn't help being deliberately crude around them. He supposed he swore a bit more than the average person, but then again he wasn't average. Arthur guessed he was probably a little bit less than that. "What's it got to do with you how I talk? You're not my bloody father!"

He repeated what he had said to Gwaine earlier without even thinking about it. It was just something he had picked up from the detention facility, one of the carers there said it enough, refusing to give much care to any of the boys there.

Uther's face tensed. Morgana had visions of it shattering into pieces if Uther carried on. It was Uther's only reaction, and he let the statement hang for a moment. When he replied, his tone was soft, but it carried around the room.

"As a matter of fact, Arthur Pendragon, that is exactly what I am!"


	5. Chapter 5

Arthur slowly raised his head, pushing his hood back. He turned to glare at Uther.

"Oh don't talk wet!" Arthur snapped. "What fucking sort of twisted mind game are you playing?"

"I don't play games, I don't have the time or inclination for them."

Arthur glared at him. "So, even if you are my father, what the hell use are you now?"

Uther gave Arthur a very level glare, disapproval radiating from him. Arthur just riled, glaring back.

"If nothing else, I'll teach you some manners," Uther's voice remained steely. Arthur looked less than impressed.

"And why did my mum tell everyone that you were dead. What did you do to her?"

"I did nothing."

"There must have been something, if she said you were dead. Even when she was dying she told everyone that. Why didn't she tell me about you?"

Uther didn't answer; instead he looked to the young warlock, stood on the designs. "Merlin, remove the spell."

Arthur's eyes widened, so did Merlin's but Uther's voice came out as a command and Merlin just did as he was told. Arthur shifted again, rolling onto one hip so he could look round at Merlin, who was stood on the design, chanting in a steady tone of voice. Arthur shuffled back a little as Merlin's eyes started to glow again. There was no doubting he was seeing the same thing as he had last time. As Arthur sat up he pulled his right arm to his side, and his eyes roved around as he watched the drawings on the floor start to glow. Lights flashed along the lines like trains down a track and Arthur curled up as he sat them disappear.

He looked around in every direction, and it was happening across the circle. The black lines faded away, leaving nothing but the concrete floor. Arthur felt his stomach flip over, and he quivered with nerves. Once the pattern was gone then the barrier between him and the group was gone. It wouldn't just be Merlin who was able to reach him. Arthur wasn't entirely sure he was ready for that barrier to be taken away; he didn't think he would ever be ready for it. But at least now, he could start planning to get himself away. There was no way he was going to believe that Uther was his father. His mother had never really spoken about it, and there had to be a reason for that. Arthur hadn't even thought about it, as a child. There had just been him and Igraine, and that was fine. He loved his mother, and then he had watched her die.

As he had grown up, now and again he thought about the idea of his father. Logic dictated he had to have had one. Before she died, his mother had told the authorities his father was dead, and then he was put into care, not really understanding why Igraine wasn't there anymore.

Arthur just accepted the inevitable. He had no one to really care for him. No one who was special. This scenario did not change that.

The atmosphere was very tense as the lines vanished, and the glow in Merlin's eyes died. As soon as he could Gwaine stepped forward and pulled Merlin back. Merlin went with him. Arthur looked around, eyes rolling in his head, but he avoided eye contact with everyone, just waiting for what was about to happen. Uther held his hand out to Morgana.

"Give me the keys."

Morgana reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the handcuff keys. Without a word he placed them into Uther's palm. Arthur's eyes widened as Uther stepped forward, breath hitching, and his heart rate speeded up. Arthur shuffled back a little, but he stopped and went very still as Uther moved closer. The air around the room vibrated with tension. It felt like Arthur wasn't the only one who was nervous about finding out how this scenario would go.

Arthur rolled his eyes up to stare at Uther who looked down at him for a moment, until he reached out his hand, flicking his fingers to indicate that Arthur should meet him. Arthur blinked, debating his position for a moment, but it seemed a bit stupid to refuse to be unchained. Very slowly he raised his hands, offering them palm up so Uther could unlock him from the restraints.

Uther did one, and then the other. Following that he grabbed one hand and looked at the rub marks on Arthur's wrist. Arthur attempted to get his hand free, Uther resisted him for a moment and Arthur's face tensed. With his other hand he lashed out. Uther's reaction was almost reflex. He dodged Arthur's clumsy swing, pulling him off balance and he stepped around Arthur and twisted the arm he was holding up his back. Arthur gasped with pain.

The rest of them had shifted a little closer, when Arthur had attacked. Now they backed off, hovering uncertainly. Gwaine put his arm across Merlin to stop him from stepping forward.

"Uther, that's his sore shoulder," Merlin pointed out. The expression on Arthur's face made it clear he was in pain.

"I don't care," Uther said, his voice soft, sounding like that wasn't entirely true. However, he didn't release Arthur, who went as still as possible, gasping as the pain. "Enough of this behaviour, it is not becoming to you."

Uther released Arthur's arm and the young man drew it back in front of him, cradling it. He didn't look up, he just stayed on his knees, holding his arm and he waited. Uther turned to look at Morgana.

"We need to move now."

"I can pack up what we need, and call Lancelot in to clear out."

"Very well, I'll make arrangements for transport. Leon, Gwaine, take Arthur to the motel, let him get cleaned up and put him in some new clothes."

"Merlin, stay here and help Morgana," Gwaine said.

"Fine," Merlin said, sounding thoroughly irritated.

Arthur did nothing, but his mind calculated through the scenario. He was going somewhere with the two bodyguards of the troop. They were expecting trouble from him. The best thing he could do for the moment was not cause any. His arm hurt anyway, he didn't want to make that worse. Arthur was smart enough to know when it was best to lay low and look harmless. All he needed was a moment when he could catch them off guard. Gwaine would be hard for that, as protective as he was of Merlin. But Leon might be different. He could fight, Arthur knew that, but Leon wouldn't want to hurt him. Gwaine probably wouldn't have a qualm about it, if he needed to, but Leon might. In the car he had been utterly apologetic, and uncomfortable with the whole mission. It was probably why he had messed it up in the first place.

His careful assessment of the situation told Arthur that Uther would have been far better in playing the punter, but that wouldn't have worked for any of them, including Uther. Gwaine would have been better but Arthur had riled at him the moment he had laid eyes on him, so maybe the feeling might have been there. Plus Arthur looked at the way he was around Merlin. He could read that body language as clear as day. Gwaine either hadn't wanted to, or Merlin hadn't felt secure with it. Arthur actually guessed the former of the two options. He really hadn't made a friend in Gwaine. Not that Arthur was interested in making friends.

It was Gwaine that came to claim him however, walking across the floor and he grabbed Arthur's upper arm, his left thankfully, and hauled him up.

"Come on, pretty boy."

Arthur jerked back. Gwaine tightened his grip but he turned to look at Arthur, who stared back with wide eyed shock. There was only one other person who had ever called him there. Arthur felt a rush of violent emotions through his system. It could have just been a coincidence but Arthur didn't think so. His eyes scanned around, but no one seemed to have reacted to it, all except Merlin, who was staring at Gwaine with disapproval. To his credit, Gwaine had the decency to look sheepish. Arthur did nothing but let Gwaine lead him along, Leon followed at a distance. Arthur stayed calm. He was getting out of the building, he could look at where he was and work out what to do from there.

And it was nice to actually get outside. Night was just drawing it, the shadows lengthening along the ground. It felt fresh and clean as the gentle breeze touched him. Arthur took a deep breath. It was only as he got outside that he realised just how stale the air inside the building had been and he realised what the musty trace in the air was. There was a metallic undertone that could have only been blood. It would never fade, it was impregnated into the structure. Arthur turned and looked at it, hope flaring.

He had never known what the building was for, but he had seen it enough. Not close up, but it was large and it dominated part of the skyline. His mind calculated where he was, and also worked out what motel they were likely to be referring to. Down the road from where they were lay a main road, the duel carriageway that led to the motorway.

Arthur knew the motel well. It paid by the hour, if they knew you well enough. Most of the pimps had regular rooms there, so if a punter was willing to pay, they could have a room, they could have cheap wine if they paid a little more. Arthur knew it gave a nice little illusion of a liaison rather than just cheap sex. The veneer was easy to crack, you didn't need to try that hard. Arthur wondered if Uther and the others really knew where they were staying.

He was pulled towards the car but before he was put in the back Gwaine put a cuff around his wrist. One he was in he attached it to the plastic handle on the roof, just inside the door.

"I don't trust you," he said before shutting the door.

"Fair enough," Arthur murmured to himself and he tested the door handle as Gwaine took the drivers seat and Leon got in the passenger side.

"And the child locks are on," Gwaine added.

Arthur stopped fiddling. He couldn't hurl himself out of the car, so he didn't bother to try. The motel was his best bet, there were quirks to that place that only someone who sold themselves knew. They drove off with him in the back, they didn't talk, they just travelled. Arthur stared out at the scenery, he knew it, but he made sure he tracked it. There was some security in doing that. When they pulled in the area was quiet and Gwaine parked the car in one of the darkest areas.

Again, Arthur didn't see the point of causing a fuss. If he did, no one would really pay any attention. Instead he let Gwaine remove the restraint and he was swiftly marched into the room.

The décor was uninspiring, and the furniture cheap. The walls were a beige colour, the paper an interwoven reed pattern. Arthur often wondered if the walls had been a different colour, when they had started off life, and now the dirt just clung to the uncared for paper. The furniture wouldn't have looked out of place in the seventies. Decades on it lingered in this place, where nothing changed. Arthur was pushed in the direction of the bathroom, if it could be called that.

It was a tiny space, with a shower and toilet. There was also a tiny sink on the wall by the toilet. The tiles were coated with lime scale and dirt lingered in deep cracks. The stench wasn't terrible, but it was there. Arthur let Gwaine push him in. As Arthur turned a sponge bag was slammed into his chest. Arthur reached up to automatically grab it.

"That's got everything you need. Towels are there."

"Thanks," Arthur snarled. The towels were not what came with the room. They were clean, a neat light blue colour. Arthur put his left hand on the fabric, it was stiff under his hand. The towels were new.

"New clothes are there," Gwaine said pointing at the back of the door. He took the handle and stepped back. "You can't lock the door."

It could be shut, and Gwaine did so, leaving Arthur alone in the confined space. He turned and glanced up at the sliver of window on the back wall. Arthur knew, it wouldn't open, and it would have been difficult, not impossible, but difficult for him to get out. He'd be heard trying to. Instead he put the bag down and opening it up filtered through the soap, shampoo and other toiletries. Then he turned the shower on. It wouldn't hurt to clean up, he smelt like an off licence and like someone who had been in his clothes just a little too long.

He did take his time, enjoying the warm water. The motel might have lacked some comforts but water pressure and hot water were two of the ones present. Arthur steamed up the tiny room and gave himself a good wash and made sure that when the door opened, he had his hands busy over himself. Leon he guessed would react in embarrassment; it was Gwaine that Arthur wasn't sure of. He seemed to be with Merlin, the body language screamed that. But Arthur was sure he would be a fraction distracting, especially as Gwaine threw open the door ten minutes in and recoiled from the steam. Arthur yanked the curtain aside and glared at him.

"What are you doing?"

Gwaine confirmed something by the flicker of his eyes up and down Arthur. He was partially concealed by the curtain, but Arthur knew, when the curtains got wet, they became clingy and see through, there was enough for Gwaine to look at.

"Just checking you're still here," Gwaine said backing up.

"Hard not to be with my babysitters all over me," Arthur snapped rudely. Gwaine slammed the door. Arthur smirked. He probably had enough time now. He stepped out of the shower but left it running, while he dried himself as best he could. The towels were getting damp thanks to all the steam. Arthur risked turning the temperature down a bit and then he yanked on the clothes. It was pleasant to be in something clean, and it was new. He pulled on the fabric. It was a better quality than he was used to; the fleecy shirt was thicker than his hoodie. Arthur took the money out of his old clothes and looked at the new. He didn't trust it anywhere except under the lining of his boot. It was another safe place to hide things. Arthur stuffed the money in and pulled the boots on. Then he took the risk and turned the shower off. Gwaine would, he hoped, assume that he was now drying off and getting dressed. Arthur surmised he had about five minutes before Gwaine came back again.

Arthur grabbed his old socks, pulling the material about until he found the one that was ripped. He discarded that and slid the damp bar of soap into the other one, carefully testing it for weight. It felt heavy enough, he could get enough impact if he aimed right. He tried to roll his shoulder, but it was still throbbing. The warm water had lessened the pain a fraction but Arthur had been shocked at the bruise on it.

The spread of it was across his chest, from his just over his right nipple to just over his collar bone and ran across from his sternum to under his armpit. What made it even more impressive was the hand print that lingered in the centre. That area had not been bruised, where Merlin's hand had actually lain, but around it the capillaries just under the skin had burst, so the skin now looked dark purple and blue. It was no wonder it hurt so much. Every time he moved his arm it sent ripples of pain as the muscles shifted. He could try striking with his left hand, but he didn't want to risk the unreliability of his aim. Arthur instead thought it better to manage with the pain.

He wanted to try a few practice swings but the room was too confined, if he made too much noise Gwaine would come charging in before he was ready. Arthur carefully positioned himself, backed up against the toilet, almost straddling it so he would be beside the door as it opened. Then he could swing, hopefully hitting Gwaine in the face. Hard enough to at least stun him, so if he needed a second blow, he'd have time for it.

Arthur had felt bad about Merlin, even before he had tried to grab him. His instincts told him that Merlin was a nice guy, trying so hard to make sure he was all right. Everyone around him just bullied him into doing as he was told as far as Arthur could see. He wondered if any of them would have been particularly interested in the young boy if it wasn't for the talents he appeared to possess. Arthur couldn't ignore them, the mess on his body was proof of it.

Maybe Gwaine was different in that respect, but Arthur didn't like him. So Arthur wasn't feeling bad about what he was about to do. Sooner than he thought, the door clicked and opened. Arthur lashed out.

There really wasn't space to swing his arm back, so instead he threw over and down; the swing connected directly between Gwaine's eyes. His head jerked back with the force and Arthur pushed him down, following up and clipping Gwaine on the side of the head. It stunned him enough. Arthur assessed the room, Leon wasn't in it.

"Hey!" Gwaine grabbed his ankle and Arthur responded by kicking him in the stomach. Gwaine let go and Arthur reached the door. He spun the catch and opened the door. He knew these doors well enough, and as he ran out he looked at room 5 opposite. That put him in room eight and he turned to see Leon running down the corridor. Arthur smirked and ran to the window at the other end. He leapt up and kicked it. As it always did it crashed open under the pressure. Arthur jumped out onto the roof of the utility room at the side of the motel and ran over the flat surface to drop down on the bins at the back. From there he bounced to the ground and took out on a flat run into the darkness.

He had to keep the road in sight. It was the only source of light as he moved away from the building. But he kept jogging. One of them might come after him, but one would have to waste time telling Uther what was happening. Arthur jogged along, keeping to the woods that flanked the carriageway, but staying close enough that he could see the lights, and ahead of him was the petrol station.

Before he reached it he slowed to a walk and paused for breath, so he didn't look like he was running from something. Then he unlaced his boot and shifting his foot, pulled out a note. He didn't have much to waste but he was starting to feel tired again. The exertion had done nothing to help, nor had the steam from the shower. Arthur accepted the fact that he needed something to eat. He could get what he needed and then move on down the road. He could hopefully bypass the town and hitch a lift. He didn't want to risk going for a bus or train. CCTV would mean he was traceable and he didn't want to go anywhere there were people.

It was a risk going into the petrol station but he was hungry, Arthur felt like doubling over with pain as his stomach cramped. He had to eat, he had no strength, and he couldn't keep this up. As he walked onto the forecourt he straightened himself up, and combed his hair down before he walked in. At the first sight he paused, a packet of croissants. This was where Gwaine had come to pick up food. He would have to keep moving after this, they knew this area, he couldn't go back to town, he had to keep going down the carriage way.

Arthur assessed that Gwaine had walked in, picked up the croissants and then gone down the first aisle where the chocolate was. There was a drinks cabinet just by the till. He hadn't even bothered to look around. Arthur veered left and went to the chillers on the far side of the room. He picked up four packets of sandwiches and a bottle of water, and then he stopped, almost reaching for a bottle of coke. Changing his mind he went a shelf higher to the isotonic drinks and picked one up. He took the burden to the cash desk and watched the girl's reaction. She glanced out onto the forecourt, which was busy, several people were filling and Arthur saw a group of men joshing around an estate car filled with equipment. They looked like builders, workmen or something. He looked to clean to blend in with them.

"I hope you or your friends are paying for the petrol," she said, not noticing the discrepancy.

"One of them is petrol, food is mine," Arthur smiled. She rang up the amount and Arthur handed over the note. It was with some regret. He needed the money, but it would do no good if he was too weak. She bagged it up for him and he went out, heading across the forecourt and skirting the car where the group of men were still messing about. One of them was trying to get the credit card function on the dispenser to work, much to the hilarity of his friends. Arthur carried on walking, and ran into the darkness of the carriageway.

He shrugged the handles of the bag over his arm and then pulled out a sandwich packet and he ripped it open, biting into the bread and almost groaning in relief as he chewed. He got the taste of chicken, with spices. Arthur's mind registered it at chicken tikka, not a taste he was fond of, but he would take anything at that moment. He stuffed it in his mouth, ate that one and threw the packet, pulled out another and he carried on walking.

Arthur carried on down the carriage way, eating, drinking and keeping out of sight as best he could. He went through all the sandwiches and the water, so he was painfully bloated, but it was a good feeling. After all the shit over the last day, it was better. He hiccupped loudly and rubbed at his full belly like he was pregnant. The lights of the town lay as his right, but he walked over the junction and went straight down the carriageway. The motorway was his best bet to get away, trying to hitch a lift wasn't safe, but he could do it. He discarded the sandwich wrappers as he went, and then the carrier bag.

The last bottle of drink he kept in his hand and he figured he could just carry it as he walked and hoped for a lift. He had to veer closer to the road as the undergrowth thickened. Just beyond was a parking area, Arthur had to walk out along it, trudging carefully, keeping as far away from the edge as possible. Lights flashed behind him and he jumped as a car swerved into the area. Arthur didn't pause but it shifted ahead of him and he recognised the estate car from the garage. He hesitated as the passenger door opened. The man in the seat turned to look at him.

"You need a lift somewhere mate?"

His voice was friendly, but Arthur walked up to the car and glanced in. They were all eying him and his heart sunk as he realised his mistake. He should have stayed away from the road, even if it meant falling over in the wood. It was quite normal to see prostitutes and rent boys walking along here, back from the motel, when a punter wouldn't give a lift back, or from the lay-by where they stood now, where cars sometimes parked up. A little down the way, one girl was just getting into a car. It was a good trick, get in and persuade them to turn around and go back to the motel, or just pull into the car park. It was something Arthur had done before.

Now he didn't think he could do that.

"No, I'm fine," Arthur said. He wasn't fooling anyone. If he was walking along here then they could easily assume what they were assuming. They were right, a few clean clothes were never going to prevent that. Arthur knew what he looked like. His stomach churned, his full stomach flipping over painfully.

He backed up as the back door opened and the man in the seat stepped out.

"Hey, we're just trying to be friendly."

The body language said otherwise. Arthur debated his options as the man in the passenger seat stepped out. He couldn't turn and run, the trees and weeds were too tightly packed for that. It was why he had been forced to step into the lights of the carriageway in the first place. Arthur knew he couldn't try running down and into the space of woods, but if they chased they would have him, he was hemmed in.

So he did the only thing he could. He smiled. It was not the usual professional smile that he used for pulling a punter in. This was the smile that he forced onto his face, his mind working against his muscles. The smile he was using now came out when he knew the situation his was in was complete shit, and he had no way of getting out of it.

"If you could get me to the motorway that would be good."

"Yeah, we can give you a ride," the man from the backseat said, indicating that Arthur should get in. With the smile in place and his stomach churning Arthur stepped forward, climbing in, his breath hitching as he took in the smell of sweat and alcohol. He kept the smile in place as he was hemmed in and asked, as brightly as he could.

"So where are you guys headed then?"

The silence was ominous.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Uther was fit to explode. Gwaine had an ice pack to his face. Leon looked like he wanted to dig a hole and bury himself in it.

"How could you lose him? I thought I could trust both of you to keep him under control."

"Hey, we didn't know he could fight this well," Gwaine said. Uther glared.

"This was not a fight," Merlin said quietly. "For Arthur this is just survival."

"What the hell do you mean?"

"You get away from the people that are scaring you," Morgana said. "He doesn't trust us and I don't think the well timed revelation helped."

"You told me to tell him!" Uther yelled.

"He had to know," Merlin said. "What else can we tell him? That magic was thrust from this dimension, but it can't be contained forever. Things are bleeding through and he is the one destined to be the warrior in contrast to my peaceful side. That he is a long lost king, but one that is not forgotten, and that he is born from a legend. I don't see him getting that; maybe the parent thing might have just made him think."

"Yeah, he's really thinking that he needs away from us weirdoes," Morgana said. "Can you find him, Merlin?"

"He's blanketed by my spell but although that will protect him from other magic users, it's my spell I can follow it. I think. I need to scry for him. You still have his clothes don't you?"

"Yes, we do, Merlin," Gwaine said in a subdued fashion. Merlin got up and snatched them from him. Morgana followed Merlin.

"I'll help you."

"Just find him!" Uther snapped. "If he has a spell around him, can people still pick up the trace?"

"It's a spell to hide him Uther," Merlin said.

"And he's never been surrounded by a spell before, the energetic traces still linger. The spell you used limits someone's ability to hone down a location. They have never had any means to locate him before. Have we just narrowed down the search area and left him with no protection."

Merlin bit on his lip. "Possibly, no… I don't know. It was made to conceal the fact that we had found him. They would be able to trace us, but wouldn't know why we were here. I mean, we move around all the time, we are covered in spells."

"And now he is blanketed by a spell that keeps him safe if we are near?" Uther asked, his voice low and steady. Merlin nodded.

"Yes."

"Find him! For heavens sake, find him!"


	6. Chapter 6

Arthur knew the type so well. He had experienced it before. They weren't gay, or didn't have any inclinations. Which gave them a reason for their violence towards him. It was his fault.

They had driven to the junction of the motorway and just past, turning into a slip road that was led to the road works a little way down. They turned a little further off the track, into the trees and they had turned on the inside light. Arthur had said nothing, asking why they were stopping was a stupid question.

"Have you ever had four men one after the other?" the man on his left asked, his hand was clamped on Arthur's groin.

"No," Arthur had said calmly. Actually he wasn't lying. When he was raped by the men in the van there had been five of them. He had never had four. They all opened their doors, the man who had hold of him had pulled him out.

Now he was bent over the door to the back of the estate car. His trousers were down around his ankles and his hair was being yanked by the man thrusting into him. They had just opened their trousers, freed their cocks and fucked him, one after the other. Arthur grimaced at every thrust; the current man's belt buckle prodded into the flesh of his backside on every entry. Arthur tried to move to make it easier and was bashed around the back of his head.

"Stop wriggling."

Arthur stopped. He knew they would take any excuse as a reason to hurt him. Staring out blankly his heart sank, it looked like the man who had been first was trying to stoke up for another go. Arthur couldn't actually feel humiliated. His life was past that, what he did feel was bored, and tired, and part of his mind wouldn't just piss off. It happily told him that if he hadn't run away from the man who was claiming to be his father, he wouldn't be in this mess, no one would be doing this to him. Fathers didn't allow this to happen to their children.

So where had he been for so many other years. Arthur couldn't work that out. He didn't really want to know.

He snapped back to the present as the thrusts got sharper. Arthur winced as he felt the pin of the belt buckle slam into the flesh of his backside. As the pain rippled through him he was fairly certain it had been stabbed into him. He gritted his teeth as the man gave one last thrust and came, his hand tensing in Arthur's hair, pinning him down. Arthur's stomach churned as he felt the wetness of the man's orgasm. He could feel the tension in the man's thighs as they pressed against his, than thankfully that bloody belt buckle had somehow been pushed away from him.

There were two softer thrusts, as an after effect and then the man yanked out of him. Arthur felt the semen tricking down between his legs. He was coated with it now. Four men had fucked him. He started to lift his head a little as the man stepped away from him, laughing as he tried to find something to wipe himself on. Blearily Arthur started to straighten up, and then he was pushed down, his sore shoulder pushed, causing another wave of pain.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Arthur dropped down again, resting his forearms on the boot space in front of him and putting his head down, futilely aware of his backside displayed to the world. The first man was almost ready again, he wanted another go. Arthur settled down to wait for it and jumped as he prodded the weeping wound where the belt buckle had stabbed him.

"You made him bleed."

The chorus of laugher was cut off as Arthur drawled.

"Let's hope I'm not carrying anything then."

He knew his mistake and he yelped as the man behind him probed the wound hard. Arthur's hips jerked up and a second later the man was in him again, slamming against him hard. He grabbed his hips and thrust into Arthur again and again, as hard as he could.

"You fucking little bastard. Think you're clever to do, nothing but a whore, you love it don't you… just asking for it…"

As the abuse carried on the words faded from Arthur's mind. No, he didn't ask for it. People asked for it and most of the time they paid him. Arthur knew full well that if they paid, then they could do it. None of these people had offered money. None of the streetwalkers Arthur knew, really wanted it, they just had to eat, and live and survive as they could. They weren't resented a lot of the time, it was just people like this that thought they were somehow better.

They were the worst people to find. Those that thought they were almost delivering a public service by dealing with the whores. It gave them an excuse for violence, and who was going to care about him. Arthur was hardly going to go to the police about it.

Someone does care, a little voice announced. Even if Arthur could dismiss Uther, there was Merlin, who had been so kind, who had tried so hard, and Arthur hadn't trusted him, because he couldn't trust anyone. Arthur jerked and the men laughed but none of them saw the gold flash in his eyes.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Merlin was desperately scrying. He was in the abattoir, in the centre of the room where Arthur had been sat, he was using Arthur's tee-shirt to try and get a fix on him. Merlin closed his eyes and incanted again. And again the deep glow pulsed around the shirt, and he tried to look at what he was shown. Arthur was still close by, and he couldn't narrow it down. He had used a blanketing spell so Arthur was just melded into the group around him. They all had the same spell, Arthur would have just blended in. Enemies wouldn't have been able to differentiate.

There was still hope that they couldn't now.

If anyone had realised they had found Arthur, and knew he was somewhere around here; the hunt was on. If they had to wait even another generation then it could all implode. There were too many people that would like that. It had taken centuries for the natural order to be balanced. Now it had gone all the wrong way. It had to be brought back but Arthur was necessary to that. Merlin knew that, he felt that. As he looked at Arthur he couldn't help but feel drawn to him. Merlin couldn't help it. Arthur was his destiny.

Merlin dropped his head, he felt so tired, and he looked at the tee-shirt in front of him. Poor Arthur, no wonder he didn't want to know.

Gwaine's jaw tensed as he watched Merlin's head droop. Merlin felt responsible but it wasn't Merlin's fault it was his. He had written Arthur off, and didn't think he was much of a threat. There were also the jealous feelings over Merlin, and then the sight of Arthur, and Gwaine had been unnerved by his own arousal, which was what Arthur had done deliberately. He had looked and seen the relationship and known that he could distract Gwaine, for vital seconds. Gwaine hated being read like a book, he hated being bested. He was getting that Pendragon brat back the moment that Merlin found him.

Gwaine jerked as he felt the tug, pulling on his aggression. Merlin was trying to use it, he was trying to tap that emotion to then relate it to Arthur. Gwaine let him, feeling a little bit ashamed of himself, he was supposed to be guarding the brat, not letting Arthur smack him around the face.

Merlin clung, trying to find anything that would find Arthur, hopeless, and hopefully trying. Then suddenly he jumped, and looked down. The spell started to form, pinpricks of light glowing in front of him, and then they formed into two points. The largest was quite clearly the spell around them, the smaller, pulsing gently, was Arthur.

"Well done, Merlin," Gwaine said.

"Wow," Lancelot said from behind them. He moved closer using the map on the computer he was holding to calculate where the fragment of the spell actually was in relation to them.

"I didn't do that," Merlin said, looking down. "Not all of it anyway."

"What do you mean?" Lancelot said as he worked, trying to calculate Arthur's position and distance.

"It's Arthur, he's caused the other spell to call out. I don't know how, or why," Merlin looked up at that, an expression of worry crossing over his face.

"I'd better tell Uther, from the position I would guess he's heading towards the motorway," Lancelot said. Gwaine's hand snaked out and grabbed his arm.

"Just tell him Merlin's located him, don't tell him how it happened. I don't think we need him any more wound up than he already is."

Gwaine made the hint to Lancelot clear. Uther was likely to take it out on Merlin, even if it wasn't Merlin's fault. Lancelot nodded and Gwaine let him go. Gwaine turned back to Merlin, who looked up at him while biting down on his lower lip.

"I'm sure he's fine," Gwaine said.

"It's not moving," Merlin said in concern.

"Maybe he's just paused for a minute; he's gone a good distance. I think we can safely say that Arthur can look after himself."

"Against things in this world maybe."

"It won't take us long to catch up with him," Gwaine said reaching down a hand to haul Merlin up onto his feet and they ran out into the cluster of activity as they prepared to go after Arthur.

"Well, come on!" Uther bellowed at them, making Merlin jump.

"Maybe we should tell him," Merlin said.

"No, let's just let him think the spell worked, Lancelot won't say anything."

Lancelot, Gwaine thought, probably agreed with him. It would be Merlin who would end up taking the brunt of Uther's anger. One thing that annoyed Gwaine, more than annoyed him on some occasions, was the way that Uther treated the boy who had been in his care for so many years. Morgana, who was in the same position, was treated entirely differently. However she was an entirely separate entity. As far as Uther could see, there was little point to Merlin, without Arthur. Unfortunately Arthur was not going to be as entirely biddable as Merlin always was. Gwaine bundled him into the back seat of the jeep, while Uther took the passenger seat and Morgana drove.

Merlin looked like he was about to say something, until Gwaine accidentally on purpose kicked his ankle. With a flicker of nervousness in his eyes Merlin settled back, saying nothing. Gwaine reached out to squeeze his wrist in what he hoped was something of a reassuring gesture.

However, Gwaine knew, the best reassurance Merlin was ever going to get was them finding Arthur, safe and well.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

It wasn't just the first man that went in for a second go, another one did as well. Arthur let him, feeling nothing but boredom as it all happened. Once that man was done, wiping himself up on some old baby wipes they found in the glove compartment, Arthur felt himself hauled off the back door of the car, and they shut it up. Then they went to get in.

"Hey! You were going to take me to the motorway!" Arthur objected. He sat there in the damp grass, the coolness easing the pain in his backside, but he remembered the conversation.

"We said we would give you a ride, you've had one," one of them said. Arthur stayed still. It was still four against one, if he ran at one, the others would take him. He just let them get into the car, he was better off doing things on his own.

"You can have a tip though," one of them said. A five pound note was thrown in his direction, and laughing as they did so the rest of the men emptied their pockets and Arthur was pelted with coins.

Arthur watched as the note wafted to the floor, then drifted a little. He rolled to catch it, causing them all to laugh. It might have been funny to them, but to him five quid was not. Arthur grasped the note in his hand as the car reversed, spraying dirt as it ran up the track. He turned away from it, feeling the wet mud splash against him. He didn't care, he just waited until the lights from the car had gone. Then he slowly sat up, and keeping the note held in his grip he started to pull his trousers up.

"Fucking, fucking, bastards!" Arthur hissed to himself. "I hope you go off a cliff, you tossers…" Arthur slammed his heels into the soft ground, ready to throw out a full blown tantrum. He hitched his trousers up over his knees and put his head in his hands.

"Shit, fucking shit!" he swore under his breath. There was no point making any loud noises. Who was going to hear him? Arthur clambered to his knees to get his jeans up and he fastened them. It didn't do much good, his backside was still damp and his anus burned with the feel of recent sex. The material stuck to his skin, which was still slick with semen.

Arthur let his breath come in angry, ragged gasps. There was no point in being too emotional about it. He was alone now, and he could head up towards the motorway from where he was. It wouldn't take him that long. The problem was that Arthur didn't really feel like it. He didn't want to go out there and pick up another huge bucket load of shit.

"Okay, it's okay, I'm okay," Arthur put his head in his hands and told himself. "I'm all right."

He was, he was there, and he was just about intact. All he needed to do was get to the motorway and get a lift from there. It was tempting to go through town. He could get a bus, or train, spend some of the precious money he had on a ticket. But even if he paid with cash they might be able to find him. There was CCTV and other things to consider. Getting in another car was going to be a risk, but it was one he had to take. Arthur scrabbled around, the faint moonlight catching in the coins that were scattered around him. Arthur swept up a few of them. He couldn't really see what they were but he did it anyway, stuffing them into the pocket of his jeans. As he shifted he saw a few more, grabbing them and holding them tightly in his hands, the metal pressing into his palm as he gripped so hard. His breath hitched again, threatening to fall out of control again. Arthur made sure he took several slow steady breaths, letting his heart steady down before he slowly got to his feet.

Sickness threatened as he stood up, his stomach churning, his head feeling light, a sensation of dizziness took hold for a moment, and then Arthur bent forward and threw up, his stomach heaving in great gasps. Staggering sideways he put his hand out and steadied himself against a tree. He straightened up and gulped in several draughts of air. He wondered where that last bottle of drink had gone, but he probably wasn't going to find it, he'd have to wait until he could buy something else. Stuffing the rest of the coins he was still holding into his pocket, they would probably serve to cover the cost of another bottle and that was the least those bastards could do for him. Arthur took a tentative step forward, staggering through the wooded area. He listened to the sounds around him, hearing the road to his right. It probably wasn't wise to head in that direction just yet, but Arthur knew if the road was on his right, he was heading in the direction he needed.

He walked a little way, stumbling several times before he eventually fell. With a sigh he just gave in, crawling the short distance to huddle against a tree. There was a trace of light to the east, it would be dawn soon. When he could see better he'd start moving. Arthur closed his eyes and sighed, comforting himself with one thought. Things couldn't possibly get any worse.


	7. Chapter 7

The sound of movement snapped Arthur out of his uneasy sleep. He had dozed off, exhaustion enveloping him and cutting him off from all the painful sensations, even if it was only for a brief time. The light was getting a little stronger, but it was still more shadow than light around him. He shifted, stretching his legs out and he rubbed his back against the tree. His body ached, from sleeping uncomfortably, from the rough sex, the stab wound on his backside throbbed painfully. Arthur hoped it wouldn't infect, the first chance he got he had better clean it. The service station he had bought the sandwiches at would have things there, but Arthur didn't want to risk backtracking.

His best plan was to get to the motorway, even if he just walked along it and took the turning back to town. If they followed him, taking this direction, they would hopefully make the assumption that he had hitched a lift. Failing that, he just had to keep the movements erratic. As he shifted again, causing the dry leaves around him to crackle he paused. There was the faint hum of the traffic, but Arthur was certain he had heard something, movement in the woods close to him. The rustle of leaves and the sound of a branch snapping.

Arthur waited, holding his breath as he waited for another sound. There was nothing, and nothing seemed ominous. Traffic was still flowing, but he could sense a tense stillness around him. The light was getting stronger, there should have been more sounds, birds singing, or something. It was like he was the only thing in the woods, that didn't seem very right.

Moving slowly Arthur got to his feet, stepping forward. As his feet crunched on the dry leaves he spun, hearing a sound to his left, like something crashing through the trees. He wasn't an expert in wildlife but whatever it was sounded big. Arthur supposed it could have been a fox, or maybe a person, they could have found him. Distance wise he hadn't gone that far, but it seemed odd that they had tracked him so easily.

He waited a moment, listening for further sounds. His eyes moved left and right and he carefully turned on the spot, trying to make as little noise as possible. As he got 180 degrees round there was another sound from behind him. Arthur jumped, spinning full circle, but there was nothing to see. His heart picked up pace as he turned again, trying to follow the sounds. The logical thought was that they had found him, but he doubted that any of them would be playing games like this.

His mind ran over some of the things they had said, not to him directly but while they were around him. The spell thing that Merlin had been working on, and had been keeping him in, was something about protection, but protection from what? Arthur wondered. He remembered Merlin also saying that it wasn't entirely finished, defences Arthur remembered. The defences weren't working or something, and they certainly hadn't wanted him wandering.

Arthur debated what options he had. Not many, he thought. He was a good distance from the road but all he could do was head in that direction. He backed up from the place he had heard the last sound, only to jump as he heard something from his right. He watched several branches sway as if something had just rushed past them. Arthur glanced around again, trying to keep his panic under control. He shuffled backwards, a little disorientated now, he strained so much to hear the road that he couldn't for a few moments locate it, and he had spun round so much. Holding his breath tightly, he listened, eventually deciding it was on his left and slightly behind him. Arthur turned and decided to run in that direction.

Setting off he recoiled as there was a flash of something moving to his left, it looked big and black. He ran through the trees and then gave a yelp, falling backwards as another huge shadow moved in front of him. The shadow skittered forward, easing its bulk through the trees. Arthur stumbled, falling backwards over a root and landing heavily.

"Fucking hell!"

His eyes widened as the huge creature, claws snapping, rushed towards him. Arthur's gaze focused on the sting that was curled upwards on the end of the scorpion's tail. His mind rushed back to the news article he had read, about the ramblers that had seen the same thing. There had been a very blurred photograph to go with it, and if you squinted you could believe that perhaps it was real, but it wasn't. Since when did giant scorpions run about the place?

Sort of now, Arthur added. He struggled up, backtracking away from the beast. The other shadow he had spotted ran forward, and he wasn't surprised to see the same thing. He struggled to his feet, ignoring his shaking legs and he ran. There was the sound of a crash and turning his head he saw the two beasts struggle to separate themselves from where they had both run towards him, and tried to take the same route. For a moment they were distracted with each other and it gave Arthur a few vital seconds to calculate a plan.

They were both huge, and Arthur guessed they wouldn't really be able to climb too well. His best bet was finding a tree he could climb, or a cluster of them that were tight enough to prevent them from following him. Heaven knows what he was meant to do after that but the most immediate thing was getting to a safe place. His eyes scanned the area and he backed up, the trees behind him were starting to thin out, but as he looked around hope flared. Just past the last few trees he could see the area where the road works to extend the motorway were in progress. Set to just one side of the main work area was a portacabin. If he could get to that, then maybe he was in with a chance. There didn't appear to be any workmen about, but they probably wouldn't be long.

Arthur calculated the distance to be about a hundred metres. It wasn't that far but with two huge scorpions after him, it might be a bit of an issue. He didn't have any time to waste, as he slowly backed away from the two beasts. As he was about to turn and run another movement from the side made him jump, then he screamed.

He hadn't seen the third one moving in the shadows until it darted forwards. Arthur recoiled but a searing pain erupted on his right thigh. He crashed downwards again, falling heavily and he looked at the gash on his leg. It was long, from mid-thigh, down to his knee, and about four inches wide. Arthur struggled away, looking up at the creature and the end of the tail dripping with venom. And he realised the damn thing had stung him.

As he fought to get up he could feel the reaction of the venom. His leg was burning, the wound like fire, but the leg, at the same time, was going numb. It was agony to attempt to put any weight on it. He crashed against a tree and reached up to grab onto a low branch, glancing up he followed the line of sturdy limbs that protruded from the trunk. Climbing was his only option now, with the hope that his upper body and good leg could propel him up there. Arthur pushed with his good leg and scrabbled to try and get a grip. He latched onto the stub of a branch that was a little higher and pulled. As he tried to lift himself he yelped as his sore shoulder clenched with pain. He lost his balance and tumbled back to the ground. The sudden movement made the three beasts recoil but then they started to close in. Crawling Arthur tried to keep moving, sweat started to prickle on his forehead, his leg was getting weaker, dragging behind him, as he struggled to crawl away.

He brought a hand to his face as suddenly a bright light flared from nowhere. Shielding his eyes a little he peered up. Morgana was suddenly there, running forward, dressed in black, hair neatly pulled back off her face and sturdy boots on her feet. In her left hand she was holding a flare, which she threw at the creatures, causing them to recoil further. In her other hand she held a solid looking handgun, which she kept trained on the beasts as she angled closer to Arthur. Arthur kept himself pressed against the tree, one hand on his leg wound.

The others appeared from flanking positions. Arthur spotted Uther on one side, and a man he didn't recognise with Leon on the other. Leon carried a second flare that he threw at the creatures to disorient them further. From behind Uther came Gwaine, who was close to Merlin. Merlin raised his hand and Arthur saw the gold flash again, as Merlin snarled an incomprehensible word.

One of the scorpions suddenly screamed as it seemed to explode with fire, the flames surging out from under its exoskeleton. Arthur watched with wide eyes. Another of the beasts screamed, lunging in that direction. Uther fired his gun but the bullet didn't make much of an impression on the creature's hard exterior.

The last creature tried to come for Arthur again. Morgana moved raising her gun. At the last moment the beast swung, lashing its sting towards her. Morgana tried to duck; Arthur grabbed her wrist and yanked hauling her out of the way, rolling her past him and sliding out of the way as the sting slammed into the tree. The creature reared raising its claws. Leon and Lancelot opened fire, but they couldn't do enough damage.

Merlin was readying for another spell when Arthur reacted. Morgana had lost her gun as she fell, off balanced by Arthur. Arthur grabbed it and rolled on his shoulder. He didn't need to worry too much about aim, he was at almost point blank range as he pointed the gun between the two huge claws and fired without stopping. He just kept pressing the trigger, the gunfire echoing in his ears. As he fired again and got nothing more than a dull click, he figured he had used all the bullets and stopped. He didn't need any more anyway; the scorpions head was a mangled mess. Arthur looked up to see the last one writhing as Merlin ignited it. Arthur dropped the gun and pulled himself up onto his hands and knees, keeping his head down for a moment. He felt unsure if he was embarrassed, relieved or angry, or just a little bit of all three. There was no denying that he felt damn pleased to see them, but he got the feeling that he was going to be in trouble, and probably in handcuffs again in the immediate future.

The deathly silence was broken as Lancelot gave a low whistle. Arthur looked up at him, feeling wary as he gazed up at the newcomer, who was looking at the damage Arthur had done to the beast.

"Now that is what I call a steady arm," Lancelot said.

If it was steady, Arthur thought to himself, it was the only thing about him that was. He tensed his body and slowly started to get up, putting all his weight on his good leg, and resting his hand on the tree. Leon went to help Morgana up. Arthur didn't even think about it, even though he was the nearest person. He couldn't carry himself, never mind help anyone else, he looked blearily at the damage and smirked.

"It's all those hand jobs I've done," he said.

Arthur was quite certain it was Gwaine who snorted as he tried to contain his laughter. Slowly Arthur turned his head to look around, moving carefully; unfortunately he didn't spot the tree root near his foot. He slipped on it causing all of his weight to shift onto his sore leg. With a yelp Arthur pitched forward onto his knees, and then jerked onto his hands, sending another riot of pain up his shoulder. He went down on his side, and tensed as everyone rushed in on him.

"All right!" Uther snapped, making most of them back off. He eased Arthur up into a sitting position, propping Arthur's back against his own body. Uther took hold of Arthur's upper arms, holding tightly as if he was making sure Arthur couldn't get away again. Merlin knelt next to him, looking at the gash.

"One stung me," Arthur said. Merlin winced, then so did Arthur as Morgana laid her fingertips to his forehead.

"He's burning up."

"Merlin," Uther snapped.

Arthur tensed as Merlin put his hands on Arthur's leg, around the wound, and he started reciting in that strange language.

"Ah! God!" Arthur snarled through gritted teeth as his leg started to burn. His eyes widened as a thick, clear liquid started to flood out of the wound. Involuntarily Arthur kicked his leg, but Merlin rocked back with the movement so he didn't loose contact with Arthur, and he carried on reciting until blood welled up from the gash. Arthur continued to gasp heavily through gritted teeth.

The burning sensation faded away, but the wound still throbbed painfully. Arthur got the feeling he wasn't going to be running away for a very long while.

"The worst of it is out, he'll be fine," Merlin said. He held a hand over the wound, an inch or so above it and started reciting again. Arthur watched him carefully, unsurprised when Merlin's iris' glowed with their golden hew, and he tensed, ready for what Merlin was about to do.

Warmth seemed to spread over his leg, this time gently. The pain in his leg eased and the blood flow ceased. Arthur felt his eyelids droop and he sagged in Uther's grip. He was too tired to bother fighting anymore. Whatever these people wanted of him, they were not going to give up, and things were getting too strange.

"That should control the bleeding," Merlin said. "We need to get him cleaned up though."

Arthur cringed inwardly at that. He probably didn't make for a very appealing sight, and what was lingering underneath, thanks to what had happened to him was even worse. But there was no way he was going to mention what happened to him.

"We could go back to the motel, or there is a hotel down the eastbound route of the motorway," Leon suggested.

"No!" Uther snapped, he shifted behind Arthur, changing his grip. He took Arthur's left wrist and Uther looped Arthur's arm over his shoulders. Very carefully he eased Arthur to his feet, keeping him steady and encouraging Arthur to lean on him. Arthur was not keen on that idea, it showed in his body language and his face. He didn't want anyone touching him, he just never got a say in it if he was paid for.

He dropped his head as Uther didn't let him refuse, he held Arthur steady as he looked around.

"We don't waste anymore time, he can clean up when we get him to safety. Let's just drive. Lancelot, I presume you can deal with that."

Uther looked at the scorpion, dead, but intact, aside from it's head.

"Certainly, Sir. Gaius would be interested in getting a look at it. We've never got hold of one in such an intact state before. My team can get it loaded and out of here within thirty minutes," Lancelot said.

Uther nodded. "Do it. We need to go now, you two," he glared at Merlin and Gwaine. "Take the other jeep, and I want to men in a second vehicle."

"I'll get it done," Lancelot said, pulling out his phone. Uther nodded and he started to help Arthur towards the road, and Arthur was forced to put more and more weight onto Uther, his teeth clenching at each brush of their bodies.

"Lancelot!" Morgana snapped, and she waved her hand to the roadworks, and the nearby route in. "Get the cars down to us, now!"

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Leon drove with care, Morgana sat next to him, saying nothing. Her gun was reloaded and ready and her eyes cast about the scenery looking for something, for anything that might be a threat. In the back Uther sat looking at his son, as Arthur slept.

No one had spoken as Arthur had been put in the backseat of the jeep and Leon had pulled out a set of cuffs. Uther had turned to him and one glare made Leon back off. Instead Uther shut the door with finality. Leon hovered by it until Morgana and Uther were in the car and then he had taken his seat and driven off. Arthur had put his seatbelt on and said nothing. What the hell was he going to say to these people, and to the man who was supposed to be his father? Arthur hadn't wanted to say anything, and since he was tired, his body aching and pain ridden he had let exhaustion take him and he slept instead. Like a baby he let the soothing movement of the car lull him to sleep.

He remained oblivious of the intensity of Uther's gaze.

Uther didn't know what to make of him. He had been looking for Arthur, for his son, for so long. It had been hard to know what to expect, but this was the last thing.

Uther had thought that perhaps Arthur would have been in college, learning, developing himself, and taking on a useful role in life. Or he could have been working somewhere, a productive place, learning a trade perhaps. He could have been happy, with people around him, even a family. Uther had clenched with jealousy at the thought that Igraine had probably found someone else, and that Arthur might have a stepfather, at least someone to care for him, especially after his mothers death. The jealousy faded away as Uther realised that his envy filled fantasy would have been much more preferable to the reality.

What he had was a broken, angry mess. One that trusted nothing and let people use him, every night his son walked on the streets and sold himself. Uther knew it wasn't Arthur's fault. Circumstances had forced him into it, and things had spiralled out of control. But as much as he tried to tell himself Arthur was not to blame, Uther couldn't focus his anger on anything else.

Uther didn't have a boy he could talk to, that he could greet carefully and build some rapport with. It was not something he was good at anyway, and now it was ten times worse. Instead he had this thing he could hardly comprehend. Uther was in danger of letting his anger get the better of him. He had loved his wife, but her death had been the cause of this, in the long run, it was the first moment to cause Arthur's decline. If she had only let him know, let him find them, then Arthur would have been safe.

The two people in front of him tried not to notice how hard Uther was staring at Arthur, as if he could change what he saw by intense thought.

Arthur was not going to trust them. There was so much work to do. Uther wasn't sure, as he looked at Arthur, that he even wanted to do it.


	8. Chapter 8

Gwen polished the dining room table carefully. Gaius had told her that the group were heading back, apparently with Arthur. It was kind of exciting but the look on Gaius' face gave her a momentary flicker of apprehension.

Still it wasn't her place to get involved in that. She was just here to clean the house, cook them food and say nothing to outsiders. A few people around the town often asked her about what went on in the imposing house she worked in. Gwen generally just gave a casual shrug. 'Not much but eating and the spread of dust,' was her usual reply. It was what she saw, mostly. Now and again the odd weird thing happened and got spoken about, but nobody else in the mansion thought they were weird, so she let it go.

In the end, she was paid well enough, which helped her father and brother, and that was all that mattered. She had been very curious about the mysterious missing son, Arthur, that Uther was searching for. It seemed so odd that he didn't know his son, didn't even know where he was. Again Gwen didn't comment openly, instead she just watched, listened and got on with everyone in the house. Merlin and Morgana were the two that seemed to appreciate that she was a person, rather than just a housekeeper, and she noticed that over the last few months Lancelot seemed to keep wandering about wherever she happened to be. Morgana had hinted that he might be plucking up courage to ask her out, but as of yet he was still maintaining a discreet distance.

She was just leaving the dining room as the crunch of gravel and the low hum of engines hinted at the group arriving home. Gaius bustled to the door, Gwen just lingered back a little, hiding in the shadows of the doorway as they entered.

They came in as a pack; all clustered around Uther who was supporting a blond youth that Gwen presumed was Arthur. He didn't look particularly happy as Uther led him into the house. Gwen noticed Arthur was limping heavily, and there was a nasty gash on his leg.

"I'll take him upstairs," Uther said gruffly. "Gaius, you'll need to give him a check up. Lancelot is due with the remains of a serket."

"Almost intact, apart from its head," Gwaine added.

"Very well," Gaius said. "I'll fetch my kit. I presume you wish me to deal with Arthur first."

He bustled off while Uther walked Arthur to the long sweeping flight of stairs. Arthur made no objection as he was guided up them, but Gwen watched him flinch as Gwaine moved to Arthur's other side to help him up. His eyes shifted dully in his head, not really looking at anything, but he glanced in Gwen's direction briefly, although she wasn't convinced he really saw her. She stepped out, looking around at the rest of them. Morgana smiled as she saw her. Merlin gave her a wave and a cheery smile but he hurried up the stairs behind the others.

"Is everything all right Gwen?"

"Yes, Gaius told me you were returning. I made platters of sandwiches and a chilli for dinner, it can just be heated up any time, and I set up the room as he asked, and cleaned through the main areas as usual."

Morgana smiled at her, taking her arm and gently leading her to one side.

"In that case, you can probably take the rest of day off, we'll be a little busy, and probably need some privacy."

Gwen nodded, it wasn't unusual for her to be suddenly told she wasn't needed. She'd half anticipated it, which was why she had made something the others could deal with. It would probably fall to Merlin, it often did.

"Very well, I'll just get my things. I left out some bread rolls on a tray, they need to go into the oven twenty minutes before you dish up the chilli."

Morgana smiled and squeezed her arm before heading off, going towards the back of the house. Gwen watched as the van came down the driveway and took the turning to go around the back of the house, presumably towards the western wing. That was somewhere Gwen was told she was never to enter. She had heeded the warnings, all of the doors to that area were locked anyway.

There were some things she probably didn't want to know. With that in mind, she picked up her bag and coat from the kitchen and made her way out of the side door and down the driveway.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Arthur had disappeared into the bathroom the first chance he got, carefully pulling his trousers down to look at the damage he had received from the incident the previous night. There were bruises around his buttocks and the insides of his thighs. He could also see a trace of blood smeared between his cheeks. That part of it wasn't too awful but the puncture from the belt buckle had bled heavily, the skin around it was smeared red, and it was still leaking.

He pulled a few sheets of paper from the roll by the toilet and dampened them, wiping around the area. Maybe he could get it cleaned up and keep it covered. No doubt the doctor that was going to look at him would be more interested in the sting wound. That didn't look too bad now, whatever Merlin had done, however he had done it, seemed to have taken care of it. Arthur didn't want them seeing what else had happened to him. He remembered the look Uther had given him, when they had found him. Arthur didn't want him knowing what had happened. He didn't want any of them knowing.

"Hey! Gaius will be up in a minute so… oh!"

Gwaine pulled up short as he strolled in, seeing Arthur carefully trying to examine the damage. He had his back to the mirror but had been peering over his shoulder, trying to see it in the glass, and clean up the worst of the mess. Arthur's head snapped round as Gwaine hesitated in the doorway, eyes fixed on the mirror and Arthur's reflection, and the bruises.

"Sorry! Shit!" Gwaine back-pedalled. Arthur snarled and hurled the damp tissue paper he was holding in Gwaine's direction.

"Fuck off!" he yelled. Gwaine slammed the door and the paper landed against the smooth white wood with a wet splat, sticking to it for a few seconds before falling off onto the tiled floor. Arthur grimaced as he looked at the pink stain on the white paint, and he hurriedly started to pull his trousers up.

Gwaine leant back against the door as he held it closed, and he gave Merlin a guilty look as the youth trotted into the room. Merlin frowned at him.

"I heard shouting, what's the matter?"

Gwaine gaped like a fish, wondering what to say. Since it was quite an unusual occurrence for him Merlin's frown deepened.

"Erm… I walked in, I didn't think about it. There's more than the serket sting to worry about. He must have got it last night, after he got away."

"You sure of that?" Merlin said.

"When he was in the shower at the motel I didn't get a clear look at him but…"

Merlin's eyes narrowed.

"What I wasn't doing anything? I was supposed to be keeping an eye on him."

"And you apparently managed to lose him," Gaius said, having been given an update by Uther. Gwaine's jaw tensed.

"Look, I just didn't think, I wasn't doing it on purpose, I just…" Gwaine tailed off and shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry."

He sounded it, and Merlin believed him, but that didn't help the situation. Merlin stepped forward and pulled Gwaine away from the door; pressing his ear to it he knocked gently.

"Arthur?"

Arthur looked up at the sounds of Merlin's tentative voice, and knock. He was sat on the floor of the bathroom trying not to feel mortified. The last person he really wanted seeing that was Gwaine. It seemed worse than Uther. Arthur didn't think he could make the situation any worse between himself and his alleged father. But he didn't want Gwaine getting any more ammunition.

Merlin's shy little knock occurred again and then his asked, very carefully.

"Arthur, can I come in?"

"If you like," Arthur said. "I don't own the place."

The door opened a tiny amount and Merlin gently eased his head in, blinking as he looked around, eventually focussing on Arthur slumped on the floor, dressed again. Merlin rolled his eyes up in his head.

"Gwaine, go away!"

Arthur heard sounds from beyond the door and Merlin's head disappeared for a moment.

"And keep your mouth shut, okay!" Merlin hissed at him. His head came back, pushing the door open a little more, sliding his body through the gap.

"Are you all right?" Merlin asked. "Sorry, about Gwaine, he's just a bit… tactless."

Arthur looked up and stared at Merlin levelly. Merlin lingered for a moment longer and shuffled a little further in.

"Can I come in?"

After a moment's pause, and a little more of Merlin's nervous shuffling Arthur nodded. He kept his eyes on the dark haired youth, feeling a little out of his depth in the neat, imposing bathroom. Merlin continued his slow shuffle in, and then he glanced out of the door.

"Gaius, he's the doctor here, he needs to look at the wound, the sting."

Arthur gave a very non-committal shrug. He looked away from Merlin, and Merlin looked confused, but he eased the door open, so Gaius could enter, carrying is medical kit. He eyed Arthur carefully, most notably staring at the ripped material of Arthur's jeans and the damage underneath.

"Right," Gaius said. "It would be easier for me to examine that if you remove your jeans."

Arthur again shrugged and getting up pulled his jeans down to his ankles and pulled off his trainers and the denim at the same time. He lowered the toilet seat and lowered himself onto it. The puncture wound rippled with pain but Arthur ignored it. Gaius slipped on his glasses and started to clean around the wound, examining it gently.

"Interesting, Merlin, what did you use on this?"

Arthur looked up at Merlin, who was perched on the end of the bath. He was hunched up a little, his hands clamped between his thighs, looking very non-threatening.

"Erm… the extraction spell to remove the poison, then I just kind of knitted some of the flesh back together. Is it all right?" Merlin asked.

"Hhumm," Gaius mused, removing a thermometer from his bag he inserted it into Arthur's mouth. "Keep that under your tongue."

"Okay," Arthur announced in a muffled tone, relaxing slightly at Gaius' professional attitude.

"And yes, Merlin, you seem to have done a very good job. I don't doubt a small amount of the poison may still be in your system. Have you felt woozy?"

Arthur shook his head.

"Tried in any way?"

"I slept most of the way, where are we?" Arthur asked, his voice still muffled by the thermometer.

"Somewhere safe, which doesn't really answer the question, but it's all I can tell you," Gaius said, plucking the thermometer out of Arthur's mouth.

"Have I made it to another country? I've always wanted to travel," Arthur drawled. Merlin's mouth lifted in a smirk.

"Your temperature is slightly raised, you are probably better to rest this afternoon, and you'll be fine to get up for dinner."

"Great."

"Gwen cooked a chilli," Merlin said brightly. "She makes a great chilli, and she makes bread for it too, in these little rolls. They're all sort of fluffy on the inside, but crispy outside and…"

"Merlin!"

Merlin gazed at Gaius, and hunched a little. "Sorry," he said. Gaius nodded and then turned his attention back to Arthur.

"Is there anything else?"

"I suppose Gwaine was talking."

"No, actually, I think in this case he felt a twinging of his conscience about it," Gaius said.

"Hey! He's not that bad," Merlin announced.

"To you perhaps not, but you are his only concern. It's rare he shows it for anyone else," Gaius said. "Merlin is competent enough if you would prefer him to do it."

"Thanks," Merlin grizzled.

Arthur grimaced and looked around before kneeling up on the seat, a little precariously and pulling his underwear down, so Gaius could assess the damage.

"All right, but it's nothing much. Just an occupational hazard."

"What caused that?" Gaius asked, starting to clean the puncture wound.

"The pin of a belt buckle," Arthur said. Merlin made a sound of sympathy. Arthur felt like asking him what would he know about it.

"Sounds a little more than an occupational hazard to me," Gaius said.

"We don't exactly have the same occupation," Arthur said.

"No," Gaius mused and then asked, rather bluntly. "Did they use any protection?"

"No," Arthur said.

"Right, in that case I want to do a blood test, and I think I'll give you a course of anti-biotics, just in case of any infection, and let me just dress it."

Arthur winced through Gaius cleaning and dressing the wound. It didn't feel like much to worry about as far as Arthur was concerned, although he did add.

"I had a blood test a few months ago and it was fine."

"It won't take me long to do another one. Why did you have one then?" Gaius asked as he rummaged for a dressing, and applied it to Arthur's skin.

"There's a free clinic, they do it sometimes, if you ever want to go for a check up. I had a bad bout of flu."

"But it's cleared up now?" Gaius asked.

Arthur nodded. "I feel fine."

"I'd rather check you anyway, Uther will want to know you are all right, although if you wish me to refrain from mentioning the other injuries…"

Once Gaius had finished, Arthur pulled his underwear back up and turning, sat back down on the toilet seat. Gaius rummaged for a needle and tourniquet to take the blood sample, as he stuck the needle in and drew the blood out he asked.

"Have you had a tetanus jab recently?"

"About a year ago, bit longer," Arthur said, his voice subduing. Merlin winced inwardly, if Morgana's information was right, it was probably given to him when he had been treated for the rape. Gaius just nodded, if he knew about Arthur's history he gave no indication. He packed away the blood sample.

"I can start you on a course of antibiotics, tablets should probably work. I can make sure you get them this afternoon. I'll leave Merlin to finish off cleaning up that, and he can dress it," Gaius looked up at Arthur. "Don't worry, he's quite competent."

"Thanks, I think," Merlin said, making Arthur snort with laughter. "You just want to go and play with the serket."

Merlin huffed as Gaius gave him a clip around the ear. It was entirely gentle and hadn't hurt Merlin. He just pouted up at Gaius, who slowly got to his feet and glared down Merlin.

"You're quite right," Gaius drawled patting Merlin's shoulder. "Use the poultice and wrap it in the gauze, as long as you rest, there should be no ill effects."

Arthur nodded, Merlin slid off the edge of the bath and started to rummage in the bag as Gaius left the bathroom at a slow pace. He didn't shut the door, put he pulled it to a little. Arthur sat and waited as Merlin produced a large pot of what looked like sour cream dip and a roll of bandage. He opened the pot and grimaced.

"What's that?" Arthur asked.

"The poultice, herbs and things," Merlin said. "It's kind of an old remedy but works well on serket stings."

"What's a serket?" Arthur asked.

"Big scorpion things, you met three of them," Merlin said, getting some of the poultice on his fingertips and he started to smear it on the wound. "Gaius is going to love you, we've got one that's almost perfectly intact, apart from its head."

"And it's good we have one?"

"Taking a good look at it won't hurt, we've never really been able to bring one down, although we've never been a point blank range," Merlin said, still smearing. Arthur had to admit the poultice might have looked weird, but it was soothing on the warm, aching skin.

"I take it getting that close isn't sensible."

"Not really," Merlin said.

"You didn't seem to be doing too bad, you were setting light to them. Are they the same things that the ramblers saw? And how did you do that?"

"Yes, and magic," Merlin said.

Arthur sniggered. Merlin looked up, glaring at him, looking very offended. Arthur couldn't help but laugh, he stopped when Merlin's head shifted slightly and the towel hung on a nearby rail flew off and landed on Arthur's head. He scrabbled a hand up to pull it off.

"Hey!"

"It's not funny!" Merlin snapped.

"How did you do that?"

"It's what I can do. I have a natural talent."

"It's like Carrie, you know that Stephen King story."

"I don't read things like that, they never get it right. I've spent years learning and practicing," Merlin said, a very distinct edge to his voice. He reached for the gauze and pulled the end free, using the layer of poultice on Arthur's leg to hold it down and then he started to carefully wind it around his leg.

"Since when?"

"I was really young when my mother found out what I could do. I've been training since I was about nine."

"Where do you find training for that?" Arthur asked.

"Uther found me, and he took me in after my mother died. I've been here since I was eleven; eight years now. He's not so bad, he's just been so focussed on finding you."

"What a disappointment I must be?" Arthur sighed. "And I'm sorry, but I haven't exactly been hidden away, I've been around the same place all my life. How hard can it be to find someone?"

"You'd be surprised."

"Oh yeah, giant scorpions and telekinetics, you can still surprise me?"

Merlin sat back and grinned. "Yeah."

"What about the Loch Ness monster, is that real?"

"No idea," Merlin said with a shrug. "But maybe we shouldn't rule it out."

"Cool," Arthur said.

"Morgana is setting up for lunch in the dining room, if you…" Merlin stopped and looked at Arthur. "You don't want to."

"Sit about with the people that have kidnapped me, no, Merlin, I don't think so."

"It's not really kidnapping."

"I've been drugged, chained, chased down and I don't think I had a choice in coming here. I think it counts as kidnapping."

Merlin frowned, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry but… I suppose you're right. But you're not a prisoner, you just can't leave the estate."

"So, how am I not a prisoner?" Arthur asked. "And I don't feel like dealing with them, all things considered."

"Gaius won't tell Uther anything, nor will Gwaine."

Arthur snorted, sitting back. Merlin snuffled away, packing up the bag carefully.

"Look, I know he's a bit of a prat sometimes, but he's here to protect me, and you attacked me."

"I don't think you really need help defending yourself," Arthur rubbed his shoulder; it was still aching a little. Merlin watched him.

"Is that still hurting?"

"It's fine," Arthur said, flinching back as Merlin leant up and put a hand on him. He muttered something, in a strange sort of language and Arthur again couldn't fail to see Merlin's eyes flash gold. Seconds later his arm stopped aching. He could still feel the bruising but whatever had been tingling deep down was gone. Merlin backed up, looking defiant and defensive. He picked up the bag.

"If you don't want to come out that's fine. I'll tell them you're tired anyway. There's a TV in the bedroom, and clothes in the wardrobe. You can get washed and chill out. I'll bring some food up and drink and Gaius will want you to start on the antibiotics as soon as possible."

"Sure, whatever," Arthur said. Merlin backed to the bathroom door and lingered again, before eventually saying.

"I won't be long."


	9. Chapter 9

**There will be some answers in the next few chapters... I'm just being a tease ;-)**

Merlin, from that moment, seemed to take his care seriously. He brought up some sandwiches, drink and antibiotics and shuffled out looking like he wanted to say more. Arthur didn't help him, instead he washed, as best he could with all the dressings, changed his clothes and the easiest thing to wear was a dark blue tracksuit. The material was light and didn't press too heavily on any injured part of his body.

For the rest of the day he sprawled on the bed. No one else came to see him. He heard sounds of activity in the grounds, and in the house but he paid no attention. He had been forced to come here and they might not say he was being kept prisoner, but Arthur's only way of protesting was to make sure he reacted that way. There were just too many odd things going on around him.

Very slowly the afternoon turned into evening and then darkened into night. Arthur saw Merlin at dinner time, bringing up the chilli and he brought two bowls, sitting with Arthur for the meal. Arthur had to admit that Gwen's culinary skills were pretty good, whoever Gwen was.

"She's the housekeeper," Merlin explained as they sat eating the chilli, while he casually spread breadcrumbs all over himself and the carpet. He was sat on the floor, while Arthur sat cross-legged at the end of the bed. Between them, on the linen chest, sat the tray holding a plate of Gwen's bread rolls and a bowl of tortilla chips, which they both delved into occasionally. Arthur wasn't sure why he was letting Merlin sit there, prattling away about irrelevant rubbish. He very carefully steered away from any subject pertaining to where they were, why they wanted Arthur, and Uther. Arthur was certain it didn't have much fatherly concern to it.

"Gwen's really nice, you'll like her."

"I don't like anyone," Arthur said.

Merlin pouted, ate some chilli and thought about that. "No, you don't trust anyone, I think there is a difference."

"What are you, a psychologist?"

"No, I probably couldn't spell it, never mind be it."

"And what is this, an exercise in me trusting you," Arthur snarled. Merlin flinched, his cheeks colouring slightly.

"No, you've just been sat here on your own all afternoon, I was worried. I dare say Uther would see it like that."

"What about your boyfriend, he probably isn't very happy about it," Arthur said. Merlin frowned and the colour on his cheeks deepened.

"Don't act coy," Arthur said to him. "You and Gwaine. I know enough about body language to read that about you. How did you end up with him?"

"I didn't 'end up' with him," Merlin said snottily. "If anything else, I think that actually is the other way round. And I know he's a dollop-head sometimes but if you are going to be rude about him then you can eat the rest of your dinner on your own!"

Arthur frowned. "What is a 'dollop-head' when it's at home?"

"I kind of made it up, years ago. Don't know where it came from, but I don't tell Gwaine that, I just pretend it has serious meaning. I don't think he really believes that, but he indulges me."

"How did you two meet?" Arthur asked. Since he couldn't get any factual information about his predicament, the next best thing was to work out the people around him.

"School, after I came to live with Uther. It was just as I started at secondary school. Gwaine was in the sixth form. He stopped people picking on me."

"And then you ended up shagging him."

"Not exactly," Merlin snapped.

"When did you first sleep with him?" Arthur asked.

"I was fourteen, he was nineteen and he is the only person I have ever had sex with, and that ever want to have sex with and I dare say you don't get that, but I do!"

Arthur blinked, Merlin's tone was getting highly defensive

"I do get it, just because I haven't ever had it. If I put all the people I had slept with as notches on my bedpost, I'd probably carve the whole bed away."

"Sorry."

"Don't be, I started sex about the same time, with someone who was supposed to be looking after me. But you probably know that."

"I know the facts. Well, what was recorded on paper, not what really happened. How did it happen?" Merlin asked.

Arthur shrugged. "I don't think anyone's ever asked me that."

"I'm asking, and I won't tell anyone what you say," Merlin said.

"It wasn't long after I moved into the secure home, which was meant to be temporary. They'd have you showering two at a time. The kid I was with was my roommate, I think he was just glad that he had someone else taking up everyone's attention. The first time it was just touching, hands jobs for a while and then a few weeks later… they used to play cards when they knew they had kids that were virgins. The winner got to break them in."

Merlin said nothing, he put the bowl of chilli down and looked at Arthur. There wasn't anything he could say to that.

"You defended someone else though."

"Much good it did me, a new kid that came in, Will. They did the same thing, me in the showers with him. I guess they thought I would just be relieved it wasn't me."

"And it didn't work like that?"

"No, and I got stuck in that place."

"But you defended someone."

"Who they made sure I couldn't get near again, and he hung himself four months later. I overheard a social worker talking, at the end of the investigation announcing that 'these things happen'. A fourteen year old kid hangs himself and apparently it's something that just happens."

Merlin clenched his jaw and looked down. Again he didn't think that there was anything he could say to that.

"I'm sorry," he said, thinking it sounded rather feeble. Arthur snorted and put his bowl of chilli down on the linen chest.

"It's not your fault."

"I know but… you kind of say it because you think things are bad for yourself and then someone comes along with worse things going on. You feel sorry for feeling sorry for yourself."

"I do not want you feeling sorry for me," Arthur snapped. Merlin looked up.

"Okay, I won't. Is that how you ended up on the street?"

"Are you interrogating me?" Arthur said.

"Just asking, I'm curious, everyone else probably is, but they probably won't ask," Merlin said, he looked up with wide, innocent eyes. Arthur frowned, realising that Merlin was asking, because he wanted to know, he wouldn't judge Arthur on anything he heard, and he probably wouldn't tell anyone else what he learnt. All Merlin wanted to know was what Arthur had to say on the subject, and Merlin looked so unworldly to Arthur as he looked up at him, like a child waiting for a fairy tale to be told.

"It's not that interesting, I was homeless, had no money and my first pimp spotted me, and needed someone for a client that liked two boys together. He said he would give me some cash, and put me up for a few nights. A few nights turned into a few weeks, there were more clients and when I tried to leave, it got nasty."

"You were making him money."

"Defending myself didn't turn out too well. If Cenred hadn't been there, then I dread to think what might have happened."

"Cenred?" Merlin asked. Arthur frowned at him.

"Yeah, he was Aled's second-in-command, why?"

"Just an odd name."

"Is it really… Merlin?" Arthur asked sarcastically.

"What's wrong with my name?"

"Nothing I suppose," Arthur said.

"What will Aled and Cenred make of your disappearing on them?"

"Aled won't think anything, he's dead, and not the pimp I have now."

"Oh, what happened?"

"He was involved in some drug deal or something, crossed the wrong person and got himself executed. Cenred got wind of it I think and went to ground. He was always a bit wily."

"So you got another pimp?" Merlin asked. "How does that work?"

"The other pimps divide the territory up between them. New people muscle in. Kanen took our pitch, he's not too bad really, as long as you don't try to cheat him he's pretty fair, and he doesn't push for freebies."

"They do that?"

"Aled used to, Kanen is a bit more businesslike about it, I don't think he'd take any of us."

"But he doesn't object to taking your money."

Arthur shrugged at that. "It's a business, he gives us our share fairly, as long as you don't try holding back. Anything bad happens he deals with it, and he has a doctor if we need it."

"Pension fund?" Merlin asked. Arthur couldn't help but grin at him.

"Not exactly, you don't end up thinking that far ahead. Even a week seems like a long time into the future."

"It doesn't sound very ideal."

"It was survival," Arthur said. "Nothing else I could do."

"You can now," Merlin said, encouragingly. Arthur looked down at him.

"What are you, the 'kidnappings 'r' us' cheerleader?"

Merlin looked a little crestfallen as Arthur went back to being thoroughly antagonistic. He couldn't help it. If Arthur was honest he wasn't quite sure why he had told Merlin everything just now. Apart from the fact, there didn't seem to be much point in lying, and Arthur didn't think he could make anyone's opinion of him any worse. He briefly wondered what Uther, his father, would make of it. Quite frankly, he ought to think something, Arthur decided. If he had been that bothered about him, surely he would have been able to find him before now, and help him.

"I'm sorry," Merlin said. "We are just trying to protect you."

"From what?" Arthur asked. "Besides big, fuck-off, scorpions."

"I'm not allowed to really say anything."

"Let me guess, that was my father," Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, he is worried about you."

"He really shows it."

"Well, what do you really say? Hi, I'm your dad, you thought I was dead but your mother lied, in the hope she might protect you, but wasn't that a little bit of a fuck up."

Merlin winced as he registered the building fury on Arthur's face. Merlin guessed, a little too late, Arthur's mother was something of a sensitive subject.

"Protect me from what? People are doing an awful lot of trying to protect me, and from what I can see, nobody did a very good job."

"I just can't tell you… yet."

"How is anyone going to know? They haven't bugged the room have they?"

"No," Merlin said in exasperation. "I'm just a really crap liar, I get all fretty and stammer and sound really stupid, and apparently I pull at my hair. I don't do very well at poker."

"Does anyone even bother to play with you?"

"Only Gwaine, and never for money, for a start I don't have any, and it's usually not Gwaine's motivation."

"Strip poker then, I take it?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah, I don't know why he bothers. He might as well just strip me without the playing about."

Arthur couldn't help but grin. For a moment he felt relaxed for the first time since the whole weird scenario had happened. Before he could say anything else, Merlin suddenly frowned and shifted slightly, reaching into his back pocket to pull out his phone. He glared at the display before answering it.

"What are you ringing me for? I'm only upstairs!"

He listened for a moment.

"Oh for heaven's sake Gwaine, would the walk kill you, and are you really that desperate to use up your free minutes?"

Merlin slowly started to unfurl himself from the floor, carefully putting the bowl of chilli he had been eating back onto the tray.

"All right, I'm coming."

Merlin snapped his phone shut and stuffed it back into his back pocket again.

"I have to go and… do something."

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "And what do you do if I decide to some with you."

"You'll probably get left having to have a conversation with Uther," Merlin said. Arthur sighed.

"I think I'll stay here then, and leave you to your little secret society."

"Sorry," Merlin said. "It won't be like this forever. I've got to…" he backed up to the door and fumbled for the handle as he kept his eyes on Arthur. Arthur nodded.

"Fine, just go."

Merlin looked apologetic as he disappeared. Arthur flopped backwards onto the bed, wondering if he felt any better for the conversation, and how much of it Merlin would end up spilling.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

By twelve o'clock there wasn't much else to do but go to bed. Arthur had flicked through the channels, eaten the rest of the bread rolls, and tortilla chips. Gaius had brought him up some coffee, which broke the monotony of the television, to inform him his blood test was fine and make sure he took the next lot of anti-biotics.

He had found a pair of pyjamas in the drawer, rolled his eyes at them and then just stripped down to his underwear. Arthur had just wandered back from the bathroom when he heard voices in the corridor. He crept to the door and opened it a little way.

Merlin had his back to the door, Gwaine was in front of him, arm around Merlin and one hand planted on his backside.

"Come on, Merlin, it's midnight, he's bound to be asleep. Gaius saw him earlier on."

"I just want to check," Merlin said, squirming back, trying to get away from Gwaine. Gwaine didn't let him, and instead backed Merlin up against the far wall. Arthur watched them. Merlin's eyes fluttered as Gwaine brushed his fingertips over his cheek and jaw before leaning down to place a light kiss on Merlin's lips.

"Come on, what with everything going on, I haven't had any time with you for days," Gwaine said.

The next kiss was a little more lingering. Gwaine pressed his lips on Merlin's, tilting his head and pushing his tongue into Merlin's mouth. Merlin responded, rather enthusiastically, wrapping his arms around Gwaine's neck, and Gwaine's hips ground against Merlin's, making him moan.

They stayed like that for a minute or so before Merlin eased himself free.

"Just let me check."

Gwaine took Merlin's wrist and pulled him back. "Merlin, come on, he's fine."

They kissed again, and when Merlin pulled back he said.

"Indulge me."

Whatever the expression on Merlin's face, it made Gwaine smile gently, affection in his eyes, and clearly he wasn't about to refuse. Merlin backed up, but Gwaine didn't let his wrist go, he went with Merlin.

Arthur stepped back, shutting the door and he backed up. He wasn't quite sure why he felt it, but he didn't really want to break up what was being started. He scooted to the bed and turned off the lamp before sliding in. As he heard the door click, he had settled down, pulling the duvet up so all that would be seen was his hair. Arthur lay still as the door gave a little creak as it opened and Merlin peered in.

"Arthur?" he whispered.

He didn't respond and he made sure he didn't move. A moment later the door slowly closed again, very carefully, and Arthur heard Merlin announce.

"He's asleep."

"Told you, now can we please go to bed?"

"What and sleep?" Merlin asked.

"No, I was thinking more of having wild, rampant sex."

Arthur had to snigger at the way Gwaine said it, almost as causally as if he was suggesting they play Monopoly.

"Gwaine!"

There was a pause, which Arthur presumed meant more kissing and then he heard Gwaine's voice say.

"Indulge me."

Then it all went quiet.


	10. Chapter 10

The following morning, Arthur decided it was stupid to put it off. He couldn't hide in the room forever, and curiosity was starting to get the better of him. He showered first and rummaged through the wardrobe, finally choosing a pair of jeans, tee-shirt and a hoodie top, and rooted out some trainers from a box at the bottom. What worried him was how well everything fit, as if they knew his size, what sort of things he wore and chose accordingly. That seemed rather creepy. He'd have to ask who did the shopping.

Once he had steeled himself enough he opened the door and peered out. The corridor told him nothing. It was wide, running to a large window at one end, and an arched doorway the other. He headed off towards the window first, peering out at the landscape of field and trees. Directly below was a well cultivated looking lawn, which was ringed by a post and rail fence, benches set against a wall at one end, it was the wall of the house jutting out like a tower in a castle. Arthur rolled his eyes. That was all he needed, castles involved as well. The landscape was very unforthcoming, although it looked nice enough, and did warn him that if he tried to get away, there might be a rather long walk involved.

The first part of the walk was down the corridor, heading in the other direction. Passing through the archway he paused, looking left and right. There was just more corridor. Left there was a door, which he presumed took him off towards the tower. The other direction was a little more open, so he went that way, towards another large window, a staircase and another corridor, from which strolled a girl. She was walking and fiddling through the pile of sheets she was holding at the same time, but she looked up and jerked to a halt as she saw him, staring at him with wide dark eyes. Arthur smiled, confused and wary.

"Hi," he said.

"Hello," Gwen replied, a little stunned, wondering how the hell she was meant to greet Uther's long-lost son.

"I'm Arthur," he said helpfully.

Gwen smiled back. "I'm Guinevere, but most people just call me Gwen."

She watched the comprehension slide over Arthur's face. "Ah, the maker of chilli and bread rolls."

Gwen's smile widened, and she looked a little embarrassed. "Yeah, I do the cooking, and cleaning, and everything. I'm the housekeeper."

"There looks to be a lot of house to keep," Arthur commented. Gwen shrugged.

"The west wing is all shut, well most of it. I don't go there, I just do the rooms this side, where everyone lives, and makes mess," Gwen said, and then bit down on her lip, looking a little nervous. Arthur guessed she was another one who wasn't supposed to tell him stuff, but taking in the look on her face, she didn't look like she was really aware of what she shouldn't tell him.

"The others should be downstairs in the dining room, I put breakfast out about half an hour ago," Gwen added helpfully. "Was the room all right by the way? I hope I put enough towels out in the bathroom."

Arthur smiled again. "You make it sound like you are running a hotel."

"It feels like it some days," Gwen said. "If you are not going to be in there for a while, I will go and clean up."

"You don't have to do that," Arthur said.

Gwen smiled at him. "It's my job."

"Oh, okay, and the towels were fine, so was everything else, although the crumbs on the carpet are Merlin's fault, not mine."

"Okay," Gwen said with a grin. Arthur headed down two more steps and Gwen turned away to go and clean Arthur's room when he suddenly paused and turned back.

"Gwen?"

"Yes," she spun round and looked at Arthur, who gazed back sheepishly.

"How do I get to the dining room?"

Gwen sniggered, which made Arthur smile, and relax. She carefully placed the sheets she was carrying on the nearby window sill, tucking them up so they wouldn't slide off, and she started down the stairs.

"I'll show you. It's not too hard, but it can get a bit confusing."

"I haven't really looked round," Arthur said as he fell into step beside her, and they took the gently curved staircase down to another level. Gwen walked down a short corridor which opened out into the sweeping hallway that Arthur vaguely remembered from the day before.

"Didn't you get a tour?" Gwen asked.

"No, I stayed in my room yesterday," Arthur said. Gwen gave him a curious look as they headed down the staircase. She could just probably point from the top of the stairs but she couldn't help the intrigue she felt over Arthur, who was also quite handsome.

"I was tired," Arthur said by way of explanation, having no idea that Gwen had witnessed his arrival and knew there was more to the situation than met the eye. She knew that anyway, it was always the case around this house. Gwen, however, just nodded and said.

"Must have been a long journey."

They reached the bottom of the stairs and Gwen crossed the hallway with him, pausing at the doorway to the dining room. Arthur walked past the threshold on and paused. Gwen stayed a little behind him.

"There you go," she said, before backing off and walking away. Arthur turned.

"Thanks," he answered feebly before looking back, and feeling a sudden inclination to go running after her. Gwen's face was far friendlier than the people he was confronted with now. She gave him a wave as she jogged back up the stairs, and Arthur turned back to face what felt like a firing squad.

"Where's Merlin?" Arthur asked, hoping to find the only friendly face he seemed to know with this group.

"Gwaine came and gathered up some breakfast for them and announced they were having a picnic," Morgana announced, with a smirk.

"I did see Merlin dressed and waiting for him by the kitchen door, so they have gone to picnic somewhere outside," Lancelot informed her, putting the last piece of the croissant he was eating in his mouth. Arthur backed up a step, unsure what to do. Lancelot, who had cleared his first helping, stood up, and indicated to the sideboard on the far side of the room, as he walked around the table to Arthur.

"It's sort of a buffet for breakfast, come on."

Arthur avoided Lancelot's guiding arm. He was not comfortable with being touched, which sounded laughable with his recent career but Arthur couldn't help the way he felt. Lancelot noticed but didn't react. He just pretended he hadn't noticed and led Arthur over, and he handed Arthur a plate, before starting to stack his own. To Arthur it looked like Lancelot was overdoing it as he packed his plate with bacon, sausages, eggs and everything else.

"Are you going to manage all that?"

"And some fruit afterwards," Lancelot said in a serious tone, having been primed by Merlin, quite subtly but thoroughly.

Merlin still had to give Gwaine some of his time, which he didn't mind. He wouldn't have been with him for so long if he didn't want to be around him, but Arthur was preying heavily on his mind. It had occurred to Merlin, in the early hours of the morning, that Arthur's rudeness, and defensiveness, was nothing more than a front. He had lived a life that demanded toughness, but Arthur didn't have some certain physical rights to himself. He had to manifest it other ways, hence the aggression and swearing.

Gwaine had been snuggled against him as Merlin pondered that, both of them lying in a sweaty, satisfied, post-coital pile. Merlin had felt damn grateful for that, that he had someone that cared so much about him, and that would look after him and would demand his attention sometimes. However, Merlin decided that saying anything to Gwaine, even the following morning, was wrong. He didn't want Gwaine's jealousy going any further on alert. The sex had been good, but Gwaine's dictation of events alerted Merlin to his partner's need. Mentioning someone else, even in the morning and allowing the hint to germinate that that person might be on your mind, was not something Merlin wanted to do. So instead he had observed his feelings to Morgana, and then to Lancelot, before he skipped off on his picnic with Gwaine. An encounter which, by Merlin's instigation, resulted in sex by the lakeside.

Lancelot now, could deal with the situation. He wanted food, he lived to eat and also wanted hold of Arthur. So he helped Arthur stack his plate, remaining conscious of Merlin's comments. Lancelot had a thick skin, so he could take any sort of dig. But Arthur never gave one, instead he let Lancelot pile his plate, followed him gratefully as Lancelot sat down again, and ate quietly while avoiding Uther's gaze. Morgana waffled at Uther, making him answer her, but his eyes always returned to Arthur.

Arthur finished eating, and Lancelot went to go and collect his third helping of breakfast, which consisted of fruit. As he gathered it he said, without turning around.

"I did hope Sir," Lancelot said, the polite address intended for Uther. "That I could take Arthur down to the firing range this morning."

Arthur blinked and sipped at his orange juice. Morgana was filling her mug with coffee, and she filled a second and passed it over to Arthur. He looked up at her, and she winked at him. Uther didn't see, this time his eyes were on Lancelot, still gleaming with disapproval.

"I'd like to see if that aim was luck, or potential," Lancelot added.

"I think it was being close to the damn thing," Arthur said.

"Yes," Lancelot pondered. "And Gaius is very, very happy with you."

"Nice to know that somebody is," Arthur murmured, his eyes stole warily to Uther, who from out of the blue suddenly asked.

"What were you doing with Guinevere this morning?"

"She was showing me the way," Arthur said. "This is the first time I have been out of the room."

"You came in yesterday."

Arthur glared, hackles rising, "Yeah, because when I get dragged off by complete strangers, who had drugged, kidnapped, and chained me, then on escaping get attacked by scorpions…"

"Serkets," Lancelot corrected mildly as Arthur paused for breath.

"Whatever," Arthur drawled. "Then I get dragged off to god knows where, for a reason that no one will tell me and you expect me to remember the layout of the house as I am marched through it."

It did rather sum up the situation Arthur thought, and he couldn't help getting riled up as he dealt with Uther. Arthur didn't think it was just the revelation about this man being his father. That was, however, the catalyst that was driving up old resentments. It wasn't as if Uther seemed to be expecting some romantic style reunion, but he did appear to think that the connection meant Arthur would be utterly obedient.

So not going to happen, Arthur thought to himself.

He went still as Uther stood, folding the paper he had been reading sharply, and slapping it down on the table. Arthur watched his progress as he walked around the table and leant down close to Arthur, hemming him in by putting one hand on the table and the other on the back of Arthur's chair. Arthur's body rippled with tension.

"One reason for being dragged off god knows where is, whether you or I like it or not, because you are my son." Uther straightened up and directed his attention to Lancelot. "Very well, we can talk about what we need to when we are all together for the briefing this afternoon. Morgana,"

Uther's voice was a distinct command. She gave Lancelot a brief roll of her eyes before getting up and following Uther out. Arthur watched her, dressed in a tight-fitting white silk blouse and royal blue pencil skirt. Her high heeled shoes matched the skirt perfectly. Watching her carefully Arthur got the feeling he had discovered who it was who had done all the shopping with such careful precision. Picking things that he normally wore, and was comfortable with, but were far better quality than he was used to.

Arthur breathed a rather visible sigh of relief as Uther disappeared and he swallowed the last of the coffee as he realised his hands were shaking. Lancelot hurriedly munched his fruit and Arthur slowly rose to his feet.

"Don't worry about Uther, he's like that, you get used to him."

"I'm not sure I want to," Arthur said. Lancelot smiled sympathetically, and reached out to pat Arthur's shoulder in a friendly gesture. Arthur took himself out of Lancelot's reach. The other man looked at him curiously and Arthur shrugged.

"Sorry."

Lancelot gave another casual shrug. He wasn't very interested in Arthur's hang ups, he was interested in his ability to fire a gun.

"Come on, let's work off the tension by firing bullets at paper targets."

"Shouldn't we clear up?"

"Gwen will do it in a minute," Lancelot said. Arthur looked around, it seemed like an awful lot for one person to do but Lancelot was already moving to the door. In a gesture of neatness, Arthur stacked the plates that were scattered around the table and put the dirty mugs next to them before he followed Lancelot. He turned a sharp right and headed down a corridor that ran down the side and behind the stairs. The door on the left swung open and Gwen came ambling out with a tray. She smiled as she saw them.

"We're done in there, he's even stacked the plates," Lancelot said to her, nodding at Arthur. Gwen smiled at him.

"At least somebody around here is vaguely tidy," Gwen said.

"He does it too much, you'll be out of a job," Lancelot warned her. "I wouldn't want that."

Gwen laughed and headed off down the corridor. Arthur watched her for a moment, eyeing the swing of her denim clad hips. Then he turned to Lancelot to see him eyeing her in the same way, with a clear sense of longing. He seemed to snap out of it and looked at Arthur, flushing slightly, and he indicated to the heavy looking metal door on the right. It had a keypad to the right and Lancelot punched in a combination of numbers. He moved so Arthur couldn't see it clearly.

"I can't tell you the combination, not until Uther authorizes it," Lancelot said, before he turned the handle and yanked the door open. It gave a creak but moved smoothly on its hinges.

"So we're waiting for hell to freeze over then," Arthur said. Lancelot smirked at him.

"Come on," he said, getting Arthur through the door before closing it behind him.

The west wing seemed to have a whole different atmosphere. There was no natural light as far as Arthur could see. They went down a corridor, up a short flight of stairs and look a left turn into a long room, set up as a firing range. It seemed to be subterranean, but it wasn't, the windows were carefully covered, the walls looked padded, which Arthur guessed was sound-proofing, and targets were set up at the end of the space. Arthur stood there, slouched with his hands in his pockets, as Lancelot loaded a clip into a handgun. It looked similar enough to the one Arthur had used but he wasn't sure. Lancelot then gave Arthur some ear protectors.

"You will want them," Lancelot said. Arthur put them on and looked nervous as he took the gun that Lancelot offered. His voice was muted, due to the protection but Arthur heard him well enough.

"Just aim at that target and fire a shot."

Arthur did, he didn't know really what to do. He's seen things on television but that wasn't real, and there was bound to be artistic licence to it. He felt glad that there was just to two of them as he shifted into something of a comfortable position, raised the gun, tried to aim and fired.

Lancelot peered around him, causing Arthur to shift his shoulder.

"That wasn't quite where I was aiming," Arthur confessed as he looked at the hole, just on the edge of the target.

"Probably because you were tense when you fired, take a breath, release it and just fire a few off."

Arthur did, and it didn't seem that bad. Lancelot showed him how to load the gun, got him to do it again, then reload, and then he stepped forward. Arthur's body tensed as Lancelot put his hands on Arthur's shoulders and tried to get him to move position slightly.

"Just relax."

He moved a little closer, which only made Arthur tense up more.

"Sorry," Arthur said. "I don't like people so physically close to me."

"Oh," Lancelot said, mildly confused.

"Yes, I know, it sounds stupid given the fact that it's kind of unavoidable, but if they paid, you just have to take it."

"Really?" Lancelot asked.

"Yes." Arthur wasn't going to hedge around the subject. It was what had happened; trying to view it through rose-tinted glasses would do no one any good. They couldn't make him into whatever they wanted, they might as well know that now.

"Okay," Lancelot said. Arthur turned as Lancelot stepped back and there were sounds Arthur couldn't quite interpret in the ear muffs. He turned to find Lancelot fishing his wallet out. After pulling out a twenty pound note he flipped his wallet closed, stuffed it in his back pocket and made Arthur jump by pushing the note into his pocket. Arthur blinked.

"I've paid for it," Lancelot said, taking Arthur's shoulders again and turning him to face the right direction, standing as close as he needed to so he could position Arthur correctly. "And for the record, you're not my type."

"No, I think Gwen is."

"What?" Lancelot snapped. Arthur turned.

"I saw you looking."

Lancelot scowled. "You were doing the same."

Arthur blinked. "Sorry, not in the same way, I just… look I didn't mean to stare at your girlfriend, okay, not like that. She's nice."

"Yes, she is, and she's not my girlfriend."

"Oh, I thought that you were… you know."

"No, I haven't asked her yet."

"Why not?"

"I don't know quite what to say."

Arthur smiled and shrugged. "I only know this from TV and books but I'm sure the conventional way is to ask her out to dinner, or a movie, or both. That way she might get it."

"What if she says no?"

"Has she given you any indication that she would?"

"No, but it's hard to tell. You have to be professional around the house, with Uther."

"Merlin and Gwaine aren't."

"I know but Uther pays my wages, and Gwen's, I don't want to get her into trouble."

"What you do in your free time is nothing to do with your job," Arthur said. "Just ask her, if she says no, find out why."

"I guess. Now, never mind that, I've paid you twenty quid, fire at the target."

Arthur levelled the gun again, his mind relaxing into the state he was familiar with when he had sex, when he was nothing more than something to be used. His mind calmed, he followed the previous instructions that Lancelot had given him and aimed, firing off all the bullets in the cartridge. Once he had finished Arthur lowered his arm and stepped back. Lancelot pressed the button to bring the target over to them. Arthur had aimed and fired as well as he had at the serket. Lancelot looked mightily impressed.

"Wow, if twenty quid is all it takes, I'd like to see you handle a sword."


	11. Chapter 11

**Explanations are coming, very slowly...**

They stopped the session for lunch. Arthur's arm was aching a little, after learning to load so many guns, fire them off and impressing Lancelot no end. Arthur wasn't sure about the sword thing that Lancelot mentioned, but he didn't ask further. At least Arthur gleaned that after lunch there would be a briefing, where he actually might find out some information.

Going into the dining room, where there were sandwiches ready, and cakes, he was pleased to see Merlin, who beamed at him.

"Hi, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"Let's be quick about this," Uther said. "We have much to do."

"So, everyone grab a plate and we walk to wherever you want us to go," Arthur said. Uther turned and glared at him. Arthur picked up a plate and stuffed a sandwich in his mouth, and he shrugged.

"I want this over with, I want to know what is going on."

"We eat first," Uther said and stalked from the room.

"Fine," Arthur yelled at him. "I'm not the only one getting the disapproving vibe from him right?" he asked everyone else.

"No, you're not," Gwaine said.

"Fucking wanker," Arthur snarled and then looked at Gwaine, who was glaring at him. "Not you, him!"

He pointed in the direction that Uther had gone.

"It's not easy for him either," Merlin said, poking an egg sandwich unenthusiastically. Then he reached for a cheese and ham and stuffed that into his mouth.

"Yeah, I feel a huge amount of sympathy," Arthur drawled, nicking the egg sandwich off Merlin's plate. Merlin let him, and reached for a cake instead.

"He hasn't been able to find you for twenty years, despite trying everything he could to. It's a long time, and he never gave up. You probably don't match the expectations he has, and he probably doesn't match yours."

"I don't think I had any, I always thought he was dead. Mum constructed it so well she even used to take me to a grave. I'm not finding it hard to understand."

Merlin stuffed the cake in his mouth, getting all of it in with one go.

"You'll get hiccups," Gwaine warned him. Merlin pulled a face, mouth still stuffed. Arthur snorted with laughter and picked out another sandwich, eating steadily. Within ten minutes the group had cleared the plates in front of them, Morgana looking at the men with awe, and making sure the last slice of cake was hers.

"I cannot believe the amount you lot can eat."

"I get hungry," Lancelot said.

"It's habit, when it's there I eat it," Arthur said. "I don't always get regular mealtimes."

Morgana raised her eyebrows, but didn't answer, Uther came storming back, sweeping the group with his steady gaze.

"Gaius wants us down in the lab, now!"

With that he stormed off. Merlin and Morgana followed, Arthur swiped another can of cola, popping the top open and sipping as he walked. They headed down into the west wing again, going up a level, this time. Arthur walked along calculating things in his head.

"This place has got to be expensive to run," he commented.

"Expensive enough," Morgana said.

"What? Like some sort of secret government department?" Arthur asked. She turned her head, but kept walking, her heels clicking sharply against the stone floor.

"You obviously watch far too much television."

"Don't own one," Arthur said. "I can't remember the last thing I actually watched. I do read an awful lot of crap though. The guy who runs the café on the corner of the main street is a bit of a conspiracy theory nut."

"And let me guess, he's up to date on it all."

"Yeah, and he leaves all these daft magazines out. You lot are making it seem very plausible at the moment."

Morgana smirked. "No government involvement, this is a private enterprise."

"Who the hell pays for it?"

"I do," Uther's voice rumbled as he pushed open a door. Morgana followed him, Arthur paused. Merlin sidled round him to catch the door before it closed. Gwaine gave Arthur a gentle push on the shoulder to get him moving again. As he stepped through the door Arthur stopped again, looking around the room in shock.

It looked a little like something from the natural history museum, if it had a freak-show section, Arthur mused. Directly in front of him was a dais, raising the serket's body a foot or so off the ground. The serket was carefully held in place by wires, the sting curled up in prime position. Arthur walked up to it, looking the creature dead on and then he stepped up on the dais and crouched down between it's claws.

"Be careful!" Gaius snapped at him. Arthur reared back.

"Why? What's it going to do?"

"Nothing it's dead, idiot boy!" He backed that up back smacking Arthur on the back of the head. "It has taken me over two hours to autopsy her and another hour for her to be put in position. Be careful!"

Arthur flinched. Gaius said the last two words into his ear, by taking hold of it and pulling his head close.

"All right, for god's sake!" Arthur snapped and then looked back at the serket. He sprawled out on the floor in front of the dais, looking up at the beast and it's rather mangled head. Then he rose on all fours and shuffled back a little before laying down again.

"I was about here right, when I shot it?"

"Possibly," Lancelot said. "We could track the trajectory of the bullets."

"No, that's all right, it just looked smaller before," Arthur said. He got up onto his knees and shuffled up to peer at one of the claws, looking at the serrated edge on the inside edge. He reached for his can of drink on the dais. "Sorry," he said sheepishly to Gaius' gaze of disapproval.

Gaius headed off. Arthur moved around the suspended creature, looking at the tail. As he walked to the back he realised the scales had been prised apart and the intricate network of nerves, blood vessels and other things he didn't care to contemplate were on display. The scales were held apart by fish wire, wound around to keep them open. It reminded Arthur of opening up a prawn. Only this was much bigger and as he marvelled at that he turned around and looked behind him.

"Fucking hell!"

Two more things were on display, just a skeleton on the left dais. Arthur went forward and peered at the display.

"What do you think?" Gaius asked.

Arthur turned to look at him. "What do I think?"

Gaius nodded. Arthur shrugged. "I think it's fucking freaky."

"Enlighten me."

Arthur looked at the skull, the empty eye sockets and the teeth on the upper jaw, one long canine was the same length as Arthur's hand. The claws at the end of the four huge feet matched it. Arthur ducked under the neatly placed skeleton and looked up at it.

"Well, he looks like a cat, a lion I guess," Arthur said, and crawled under it and rolled over, lying on his back under it.

"Why do you guess that?" Gwaine asked.

"Well, it's big, it's bigger than the male lion in the zoo, and he's big!"

"What makes you think he's male?" Gaius asked. "This one. I presume the one in the zoo is obvious."

Arthur paused. He was sprawled under the skeleton and he had to wriggle further under to tilt his head back and looked at Gaius on the other side. The old man was clearly waiting for an explanation and he nodded at the skeleton that Arthur was sprawled under and since he wasn't being told off for sprawling there, he realised Gaius was interested in what he had to say. Arthur carefully pointed at the skull.

"The head's big."

Gaius snorted with laughter. Arthur knew his reasoning was sound, but his answer was wrong.

"Okay, it's female, I should have looked at the pelvis, although not exactly child bearing hips. Is no one going to help me here?" Arthur asked, raising his head a little to look at the others.

"No," Gaius said. "Look at the rest of it."

Arthur dropped his head back, rapping the back of his skull on the dais. The sound echoed around the room. The wood didn't sound heavy, the platforms were built for a purpose but they were backed up by wires to hold the heavy beasts. Arthur frowned as he looked at what he was supposed to see.

"The wings, the bones are attached here, on the shoulder blades and the wires here, the red ones," Arthur pointed at the network and looking around on the beast saw the red lines connected around the bones. "They aren't holding it up they're ligaments or tendons or stuff that connects things and the spine is splayed on both sides at that point. It was a cat with wings."

"It's known as a bastet, a creature that inhabits the world between the living and the dead."

"Okay, and it's a cat with wings because?" Arthur asked. Gaius paused and stared at him.

"You know, I never wondered that. I was rather more interested in the fact that the DNA samples that I have taken from it are, in fact, human."

"So?"

"What you are looking at, from that basic scientific analysis, is a human body."

"But it's a big cat with wings. Why would it be human?" Arthur wriggled out from his prone position under the beast and then he touched the shoulder and rib that was caved in.

"What happened?" he asked Gaius.

"I can assume the sword delivered a fatal blow. That injury killed it, and so swiftly that the creature never got a chance to change back. When the skeleton was found, it was naturally passed off as a hoax, but time has told us this was a curse afflicted onto someone. A female, although I cannot tell you more than that."

"So, it's like a gypsy curse or something, and this was a person. It doesn't look like it. When was it found?"

"In 1941, a bomb dropped a little way out of London, and this came up. People just thought it was a light-hearted hoax, which was placed in the centre of a bomb blast. The damn thing should have been obliterated, but it was there for people to find. For us to find."

"Again with the secret agency, superhero stuff."

"No, it was just a curse, caused by magic and that same magic protected it. No magic will allow anything to be destroyed. The creature was left there to be found."

Arthur blinked as he looked at Gaius. Who nodded his head at the creature behind Arthur.

"And that one?"

This one was presumably stuffed and mounted. The taxidermist that had done it must have had a field day. Arthur looked at the carefully constructed beast, the golden fur that ran over the well muscled body, the wings that were suspended by wires, and the head, at odds with the body but seeming to fit on it. The neck feathers spread out down the shoulders, but at the tips they turned to fur, melding into the feline structure.

"Cats appear to be a theme here, same body, and the wings, but head of a bird? Is this another curse or something?"

"No, that is a griffin."

"Is it human?" Arthur asked.

"No, it's unrelated to anything, although does hold cat and bird DNA within the structure. Although not exactly in the way that you would expect," Gaius mused. "Griffins are quite nasty creatures, very predatory, and they do eat their kills."

"Yuk!" Arthur said. He sat up and looked at the beast and then turned to regard the skeleton behind him. "Was that what the curse was about then? Were they trying to turn her into a griffin?"

"No, but the two creatures are related, I'd presumed so anyway. The griffin is a creature of magic, the bastet is something conjured from magic. I can't rule out that perhaps the bastet is based on the griffin but both are their own creatures."

Arthur was listening to Gaius, suddenly aware that no one else was contributing to the conversation. They all appeared to be listening to him intently. Arthur's breath hitched and he spat a small amount of cola back into the can.

"Oh shit! That's not why you are interested in me is it? As if I don't get enough to worry about, now I might have a sexually transmitted curse!"

Gwaine chortled with laughter. "Oh, I know a few people that would enjoy that thought."

Merlin smacked him on the arm, glaring at him in disapproval. "Shut up!"

That probably had no affect on Gwaine. He simply refused to be bothered. Since Merlin didn't looked to worried either Arthur figured it was just Gwaine's normal behaviour. Plus Arthur was starting to realise however much Gwaine dug at him, he only meant it because of Merlin. There was a subtle warning to it that told Arthur that Merlin was Gwaine's. He had looked after him for so long, they had been together for years and loved each other. Arthur had seen enough to know that, but experience made it difficult. Gwaine had probably been about a bit, however young he was, but Merlin had been younger still. Although he said Gwaine was the only person he wanted to be with, curiosity probably roused in him. Gwaine saw the threat, in Merlin wanting to stretch his wings, just because he wanted to, because he had never done so before. The worst part was, Gwaine probably understood the need, but that didn't stop him being pole-axed with emotion.

"No," Morgana said. "They are creatures of magic. Merlin is also."

"He's not a creature though, is he?"

"Yes," Morgana said. "He is, why can you not see a human being as a creature."

"I can," Arthur said. "I often get seen as less than that. So, you have a collection of freaky animals, some more over there I presume," Arthur pointed to the darkened room beyond an archway.

"And Merlin, who does stuff… best explanation I can think of, and you lot also hunted me down. I might apparently be your son, but I also guess I'm relevant."

"Yes, you are," Uther snarled.

"Why?"

"Magic was pushed from this realm, slowly and surely, but it is a force that exists in this world. It can be seen as energy, but only certain people hold the key to it," Gaius said.

"Like Merlin."

"Merlin is the ultimate key, he needs protecting as much as he is necessary for this," Uther said. "You are the same."

"What the hell do I have to do with it?" Arthur asked, taking a swig of cola. He regretted it a moment later as Uther glared at him steadily.

"Because you are King Arthur. The Once, and Future, King."

Arthur spat his drink across the carpet.


	12. Chapter 12

Arthur had ended up offering to scrub the carpet, but Merlin had just whispered something and the mess disappeared. Arthur had stared into his can.

"You didn't put it back in there, did you?"

Arthur hadn't been surprised when Gaius had removed the drink from him, and they had moved out of the room and into what looked like a conference room on the upper level. Morgana and Merlin disappeared off and came back with trays of coffee and biscuits. It was like one endless conference as far as Arthur could see. Still if there was food on offer he wasn't going to complain.

Instead he kept his mouth shut and made an effort to control the facetious comments. He was getting some information, as unreal as it sounded. Yet he couldn't help feeling that it was stirring something in his mind. Not that he wanted to admit that to anyone.

He looked around, watching all the other people in the room. They were talking amongst themselves, Gaius to Uther, who seemed locked in a very intense conversation, and Merlin and Morgana seemed to be doing the same as they set up the drinks and snacks. Gwaine wasn't contributing to the conversation but he lingered by Merlin, one hand brushing up and down Merlin's arm, trying to distract him. The last pair, Lancelot and Leon were discussing something, their conversation occurring out in the corridor.

Arthur guessed he could have joined any of them but he didn't feel quite right. They all knew each other, had something in common. Arthur had only known them a very short amount of time, and everything was so strange, but oddly comforting. At least he remained very sure of the fact that no one had any real intention of hurting him. True he had been handcuffed, drugged, and dragged off to this bloody weird house, but half of the injuries had been accidental or caused by himself in some way.

He was still trying to process the idea he was some sort of king. How on Earth had they come to that conclusion? No wonder his mother had run off with him, hiding herself from them. What he really didn't understand was why she had left him alone, when she knew he had a father who would have taken him in. She had fought the encroaching cancer, Arthur had seen that, taking any treatment she could to prolong her life. He had watched her change, hardly understanding it, even when Igraine herself, and then the nurses, had carefully explained it to him.

It had caught up with him one day. His mother had always looked beautiful, at least to him. He remembered her as tall and slender, a wealth of blonde hair cascading past her shoulders. Every time he looked in the mirror he knew where his colouring and his facial structure had come from. He couldn't ever forget her because of it, it helped him remember, after that shocking day. The day he realised his mother really was going to die.

One of the nurses had taken him for an ice cream. It was a hot summer's day. Igraine was having another round of treatments in the little hospital they went to. He had taken the nurses' hand and went out with her to get an ice cream from the van outside. The nurse had heard it coming and flagged the man down. He had naturally stopped, used to the nurses doing so, when they had children with parents having treatment, or waiting to have treatment themselves. Quite often he didn't charge them, seeing it as his good deed.

Arthur had goggled at the ice cream, they couldn't often afford treats often, and had trotted back up to see his mother, happily munching on the cornet. Then he had paused in shock, in the doorway to the room, sunlight was streaming in, providing a backdrop to the scene. The first thing he noticed was his mother's hair didn't glow in the sunlight as he thought it should. There was no hair to glow; and that seemed to highlight the stark bones on her face. Arthur had suddenly, at that moment, wondered where his mother had gone.

He could see her, he knew Igraine was there but the reality of the situation hit him then. She had turned and smiled at him, her eyes realising what he was seeing, even though she tried to smile at him.

"Are you enjoying your ice cream, sweetheart?"

The moment she asked that was the moment he knew she was going to die. And it hadn't been long after that when she did.

Arthur had broken that day. He knew he had to carry on, Igraine had made him promise to such an affect, and he had been content enough in the children's home. The people who had run it had looked after him well enough, they were kind, and caring to him, knowing he had just lost his mother and to their credit they never made any illusions to being anything more than the people paid to look after him.

There had been no one to really care about him, and how he felt. Arthur wasn't sure he could list anyone he knew, anyone he had ever met, as a friend, one that would concern themselves about him, unconditionally and unselfishly.

Arthur didn't think it was any different now. Even after meeting his father after all these years, knowing he had tried to look for him, Arthur got the feeling that it wasn't because he wanted to find him, because he was his son. It was because he needed to fulfil whatever purpose they wanted of him.

"Shall we get started?" Uther asked.

It jerked Arthur out of his shock. He realised Leon and Lancelot had come into the room. Morgana, Gwaine and Merlin were taking seats. Arthur had been lost to the memory, and he looked around now, feeling so separated from these people when that shouldn't have been the case. He turned his head to look at Uther, who stared back almost impassively. Arthur felt a surge of hatred.

What had this man really done, to the point that his mother wouldn't turn to him. Even when she was dying. By the look of it Uther could have certainly afforded treatment for her, rather that Igraine relying on the National Health Service.

Everyone watched with varying degrees of shock and interest at the venomous look that flitted across Arthur's face as he stared at Uther. And for a moment Arthur didn't move, his eyes stayed fixed on his father, lost to whatever he was thinking, and whatever that was, it didn't appear to be very good.

Merlin broke the impasse by noisily getting up, scraping his chair across the floor and looking around with innocent eyes.

"Who wants coffee?"

Uther's eyes moved to Merlin and he shook his head, everyone mumbled a refusal, all except Arthur.

"I do," he said, stalking to the back of the room, fiddling with the coffee and mugs. Merlin joined him, leaning in towards him to whisper.

"Are you all right?"

"Fine," Arthur said in a flat tone that warned Merlin not to ask anything further. Merlin took the hint and just made himself a coffee and headed back. Arthur stayed where he was, messing around longer than necessary. Uther watched him for a moment.

"Why don't we just start, Uther? Arthur can hear from over there," Gaius said, before turning his attention to the boy in question. "Arthur, what do you know about Camelot and the legend of King Arthur?"

Arthur paused what he was doing, looking at Gaius, frowning with confusion.

"Nothing, never heard of it. Should I have?"

"Do you think you should have?" Merlin asked him. Arthur's frown deepened.

"Well, I do now, since you seem to think I should, but," Arthur paused and thought about it harder. "It sounds familiar, I never paid much attention in history though." Or in any subject for that matter, Arthur thought to himself.

"It doesn't get taught in history," Gaius told him. "And very few people recall the legend, when the magic was pushed from this realm knowledge of the legend went with it. Even people that knew it, no longer seemed to recall it."

"You lot do," Arthur stated.

"And it doesn't bode well if the man himself can't remember his own legend," Gwaine said.

"Wasn't there something about him having knights, and a table?" Arthur suddenly asked. "Why was there a table, what the hell has a table got to do with anything?"

"It's significant to the story," Merlin said.

"That happened quickly," Morgana said. "Could he have been under some sort of enchantment? It would be in many people's interest for him to not remember what he needs to know."

"Merlin?" Uther asked. He eyed Arthur with concern. Merlin did the same, biting on his lip as he thought.

"I wouldn't have thought so, his unconscious mind might have been triggering the memories but until Gaius actually mentioned it directly, it hasn't manifested as a conscious thought."

"Plus, I doubt anyone against us would bother with an enchantment, wouldn't they just kill him while he's vulnerable?" Leon asked.

"That's reassuring," Arthur said.

"I think we can safely suggest that one attempt has already been made," Uther said. "And if we had the time to spend dissecting Arthur's life we will probably find others."

"That's really reassuring," Arthur said.

"No it's not," Uther snapped. "You don't even walk around this house unescorted. If the serkets were an attack then they know we have Arthur, and the fact we do will move everything on a pace."

"Could Igraine have suppressed the memories?" Merlin asked, hunching a little as both Uther and Arthur glared at him.

"I just wondered if that was possible."

"Igraine didn't have magic," Gaius said gently, but with a tone that ended that discussion. Clearly neither of the Pendragons wanted to talk about her. Merlin shut up.

"Various sources have been found, with information pertaining to the legend," Gaius carried on, diverting the conversation back to the main topic.

"Where I was evil apparently," Morgana said.

"Evil people are always snappy dressers," Gwaine informed her. Morgana smirked.

"I don't think your part was technically 'evil'," Gaius said. "Magic requires balance, the entire world does, otherwise the natural order could be damaged beyond repair. You kept that balance against Merlin's magic."

Morgana shrugged.

"Now we have a danger, with the magic leaking through, that the balance will tip too far the other way. It's not something we want if the natural order is to remain, but there are other forces in play, which we are all connected to," Gaius carried on talking.

"But back to the sources, the Pendragon family have been gathering information, and waiting for the moment the balance is restored, which we presume is now. All the signs pointed to Arthur's rebirth, which occurred."

"So the legend of him sleeping in a cave isn't entirely accurate," Leon said.

"You can interpret it as such, but no, however Arthur was born in the area that legend had King Arthur sleeping in the cave, in Cadbury Castle. If you want to be a little analytical then maybe you can interpret it as the legend coming to pass. Arthur was born on Christmas Eve, which is when the king and his knights are reported to ride out." Morgana said.

Arthur fiddled about making coffee while he listened to the conversation. They were making it all sound so normal.

"So, what? I'm reincarnated then?" Arthur asked cynically.

"Not exactly, but each person does hold the character traits of the people they used to be. Each family line has been holding onto to the knowledge they have, consciously or unconsciously, to bring everyone into place," Gaius said.

"It should have all focused on you, however, you were hidden away so neither side could make a move until you were located," Uther said. Arthur blinked.

"You're aware you sound nuts right?" Arthur asked.

"Quite possibly," Uther said, with a slight smile, which was the first friendly gesture he had given Arthur since they met. It didn't fill Arthur with any particular feeling, the man was still a stranger, and yet there was so much between them.

"We are missing some pieces of information, Arthur we know about, Merlin naturally, when the family names started appearing together then it was becoming obvious," Gaius said.

"Family names?" Arthur asked.

"Names that are passed on through the generations, Merlin is one, Arthur another, each one of us carries the relevant name of the person they represent," Gaius said. "They don't appear each generation, but the last few have carried the names in the relevant order."

"Oh," Arthur said.

"Even your mother," Gaius said, rather quickly, and then he diverted the subject swiftly. "There is someone else who has information on this. We know of him but have never really been able to locate him. Anytime something relevant might have turned up, he was there if we didn't get there first. We've never been able to really track him, but we have picked up traces of him," Gaius said. He pulled a picture out of a file and held it up, it was a clear shot of them man in question.

"Shit!" Arthur yelped as coffee went everywhere, particularly down his jeans. There were some napkins on the side and Arthur grabbed a handful to dab at the mess, wincing as the hot water soaked through to his skin. The sensible thing was to drop his pants, which was what Gaius ordered him to do, but Arthur wasn't about to do that. Merlin whispered something and Arthur looked up in time to see his eyes flash gold. Arthur felt a tingling sensation against his skin and the damp patch on his jeans suddenly cooled.

"It's not burning now, it should be cool enough to calm the skin," Merlin said.

"Thank you, Merlin," Gaius said. He was going round to see to Arthur, but Arthur paid no heed, instead he moved to the table and pulled the photo closer. His reaction hadn't been unwarranted.

"I think we need to keep you away from the refreshments during these things," Gwaine commented, and got no response.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked.

"He's my every other Wednesday," Arthur announced.

"Your what?" Uther demanded.

"My every other Wednesday," Arthur repeated and then looked up at Uther, before putting it in simpler terms. "He's a punter."

"What?" Morgana said, she flipped open her laptop and started to type.

"The one you mentioned, who had the car?" Leon asked, the memory of Arthur's chatter when he had picked him up ran back to him in a rush.

"Yeah, picks me up every other Wednesday. It's my almost night off, I'm with him all night, and he drops me off in the morning. Well, the driver does."

"He has had sex with you," Uther asked, his voice low.

"That's what punters generally do," Arthur said, wincing inwardly as Uther's jaw tensed. "Not every time but most of them."

"How long had that been happening?" Leon asked.

"Years, it came through Aled, my first pimp, not long after I…" Arthur paused. It hadn't been long after he realised he wasn't getting away, that he was trapped, and the Wednesday nights were easy. The man had been old, almost kind, and however demanding the sex had sometimes been, it had never really been rough, or frightening. Now it seemed to be turning into something else all together.

"We need to find him," Morgana said. "I can't get any address."

"It's about an hours drive from the lane, he used to pick me up at a point just outside one of the clubs," Arthur said.

"You've been to his house?" Uther demanded. Arthur nodded.

"Not all the time, and not at the beginning."

"Where did he take you at the beginning?" Morgana asked, as Uther glared at her she looked back impassively. "It's the place to start."

Arthur slowly sat in the nearby seat, the mild sting on his leg forgotten as he faced the people in front of him, all of them openly curious, with mild horror filtering into their eyes.

"Hotel at first, not the rubbish one the pimps use, and he never minded if I ordered room service, lots of it," Arthur said, remembering stuffing his face on those nights. "Then after a while he started taking me to his house sometimes. I knew if we went through a drive-thru that was where we were going."

"How did he get you into the hotel?" Gwaine asked. "No offence, but you look like what you are."

"The first time I got fresh clothes. Aled bought them for me, then there was always something, I'd change in the car and he'd take me wherever he wanted me to go. I even went to an art exhibition once," Arthur mused. "And the opera."

"Very 'Pretty Woman'," Gwaine commented. Merlin smacked his arm and then winced, flexing his hand.

"Not really," Arthur said. "He got his money's worth."

"How much was that, for all night?"

"Two hundred quid."

Arthur watched them all look at each other, as if trying to work out, in the basic scheme of things, if that was a lot for a rent boy. It wasn't really, Arthur knew it.

"Trust me, it's not a lot, but there is always someone who will do it cheaper, you don't want to price yourself out of the market."

"So you know where he lives," Morgana said.

"I can't recite the address, but I know the way to go, take the motorway eastbound, it's four junctions, third exit, carry on down the road, over a couple of roundabouts, and it's not far from there."

"What's the house like?"

"Big," Arthur said. "And it's really quiet, I don't think he's got any close neighbours."

"There are a few houses like that in that area," Morgana said, typing away and staring at the screen.

"Take me there, I can find it," Arthur told her.

"No! You do not go anywhere," Uther snapped.

"You can't start wrapping him up in cotton wool," Morgana said. "If Arthur can get us there, then we have to let him. We need to find this guy."

"And what if he's been feeding information to others."

"It's certainly not to anyone who wants Arthur dead," Gwaine pointed out. "Otherwise, he would be."

"Why did Aled send you?" Merlin asked. "You in particular."

"Dunno, he just did. I think I was just what the guy wanted, physically at least."

Merlin pondered that, while Arthur tried not to feel sick.

Several hours later, Arthur didn't just feel it. He was sick.


	13. Chapter 13

"This is the road," Arthur said, sitting up and pointing. He was sat on the floor of the spacious car that had picked him up and started the chain of events that had led him to this point. It was, he thought, regrettable that the drinks cabinet was damaged. He could have really done with some alcohol in his blood.

"Are you sure?" Uther asked. Arthur nodded.

"The roadworks and diversion confused me but yeah, this is the way, the road curves here and then the drive on the right leads up to the house. There's a whole load of bushes just past this bend."

As they took the bend, Arthur's words proved to be true. He couldn't have described the way they went but he knew it, as they ran through it. Arthur got the feeling that Uther didn't want him there. He hadn't exactly endeared himself, not that Arthur cared about Uther's opinion, but he also didn't seem to want Arthur in danger.

As he moved Arthur felt the gun that was now strapped into the holster, resting against his side. It was one of the guns he had used during the training session with Lancelot, who was also the one who had given it to him. There had been some objections but Lancelot had overridden them.

"Look, he's perfectly competent," Lancelot had said, which had felt like a glowing recommendation to Arthur. Then Lancelot had turned to him.

"The safety catch is on, don't take the gun out unless you really need it and don't point it unless you are prepared to use it and kill with it."

"I didn't have a problem last time," Arthur said.

"In which case only pull it if you see a monster, not a person," Lancelot had said to him sternly, leaving Arthur a little flabbergasted and more than a little nervous. He decided to keep the gun on him, but do as Lancelot advised and only pull it if he really had to use it. There was something very calming about having it there, the same feeling that he had carrying the small knife he had kept in his back pocket. Just the sheer presence of it made him feel more confident. Plus, he wasn't entering the building alone. If Uther had his way he wouldn't be entering at all, but Arthur knew the layout of most of the house.

"Stop just past the entrance," Uther ordered. Gwaine stopped driving and everyone started to clamber out of the car. They were out of sight of the house but the wall and iron gate loomed to their left, looking imposing in the darkness. Lancelot pulled the jeep he was driving just ahead of the car and they all clambered together in the darkness.

"Merlin?" Uther said.

Merlin whispered, his eyes flashing gold, a phenomenon that was easy to see in the darkness. After a moment he shook his head, gaze moving over the imposing boarder of the estate.

"Nothing magical, not even proximity wards. There was no evidence he possessed magic anyway."

Uther nodded. "Lancelot."

"As far as I can tell, there is just CCTV as security, and not much of that. We can get in easily."

"The gates are on a remote control," Arthur warned him. A moment later Lancelot produced a small device, typed into the keypad and the gates opened up, creaking a little. It made Arthur's stomach tighten. He knew they were there when that creak happened, and he was bought and paid for.

"Let's go, Lancelot, keep those men on the perimeter, the rest to the house. Merlin, you stay with Arthur."

"Yes, Sir," Merlin said.

Arthur frowned, "why is Merlin staying with me?"

Uther gave him a look that told Arthur to stop asking stupid questions. Morgana said nothing, but looked at him archly as she followed Uther past the now open gate. She was dressed in the same sort of clothing. Black combat trousers, thick soles boots that laced up around her ankles and a black top, with a gun holster wrapped around her torso. The gun was already in her hands, and she followed Uther looking around carefully. Arthur trotted in with the rest of them, Lancelot moved closer to him, flanking his right, while Merlin lingered on his left. Gwaine stayed by Merlin.

The three men who had travelled in the jeep with Lancelot fanned out into the grounds while the rest of them made their way to the large house. Part of it was floodlit, and some of the lights in the house were on.

"There are no security guards or anything like that?" Lancelot asked.

"No, just the chauffer, well that's all I've ever seen," Arthur replied. "Why would anyone bother him, he's just a rich old man, who's a bit lonely."

"You think that?" Gwaine asked.

"He buys someone as company every other Wednesday," Arthur said. "We didn't always have sex, sometimes he just talked and showed me things, and took me to places."

"What things?" Uther hissed as they made it to the side of the house and peered into the nearest room.

"Art and stuff, and culture. That painting over the study fireplace was painted in 1804, it was the only one the artist did, Gerard… something or other that sounds French but I think it's Belgian. There was some story behind it, I was there when he went to the gallery to buy it." Arthur ended rather limply as Lancelot opened the window with the expertise of a high-class burglar.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but that looks like Kilgharrah," Morgana said as she put her head through the window and launched herself onto the sill.

"What?" Arthur asked.

"It is," Merlin said clambering in. Arthur managed it, with a helpful shove from Gwaine that pitched him onto the floor. The man followed him, laughing. Arthur looked up at the picture of the fire breathing dragon that was half twisted in the air, looking like it was in flight, neck and wings stretched.

"It's supposed to be titled 'The Impossible Creature.'" Arthur added helpfully as he picked himself off the floor. "The Belgian guy that painted it was put into an asylum after he did it. He also said that he saw red clad soldiers when he saw the scene as he started to paint, but he couldn't put them in, someone warned him not to."

"You know a lot."

"I was there when he paid three millions pound for it. I was two hundred pounds and fifty pounds for the rent of a suit. It really gives you perspective in life," Arthur said. "People's lives are worth nothing. No one notices you. I was just a pretty boy following a rich man."

"Buying a picture of the last Great Dragon, we know the portrait," Merlin said. "We know when it was painted. The Pendragon of the time tried to find the man who had painted it, he had seen something, something that was real."

"I just got pissed on the free champagne and made an extra thirty quid in the loos with a hand job and some dirty talk."

"You really, now and again, take the magnificence out of certain moments," Gwaine said, moving to Merlin's side as he stared at the portrait of the dragon. Arthur clenched his teeth. What the hell was magnificent about this? He turned and walked out of the study and went into the hallway, heading up the flight of stairs towards the bedroom. He knew the place well, he also knew the person who lived here, and didn't really want to frighten him.

"Geoff? It's Arthur."

"What are you doing?" Lancelot hissed.

"He's an old man, and I've had to give him his medication on more than one occasion, he suffers from angina. There is no point in encouraging him to have a heart attack. No one else comes here."

"You're here one night in every two weeks, you don't know that. Leon, scout the lower floors with the rest of my team. We'll take the rest."

"Will we?" Arthur asked Lancelot.

"You seem to think he's up here, so we're following you."

"The bedroom is just here, it's late enough he doesn't… shit!" Arthur yelped as Lancelot elbowed him onto the floor. Arthur fell, banging his head against the door he had opened which was now swinging back on him.

"Ow," Arthur said calmly and then looked at the bed. "Oh my god. Oh, Christ."

Arthur remembered there always being ivory coloured sheets on the bed. Now they were red, blood dripping off them, running from the body parts that lay on the bed, in position, but limbs had been removed from the torso. Arthur focused on the right hand which had been yanked off, bone protruding from the wrist it had been pulled from. He kept his eyes on that one thing, not wanting to take in the rest of the scene.

Lancelot moved into the room slowly, gun ready, scanning around.

"Arthur?" Merlin grabbed him, making Arthur tense and he slammed back into the door again. Lancelot turned to look at them.

"We can't stay in here, we need to sweep it for traces of… whatever did this. Merlin get my team up here, you two need to stay clear of the scene."

"Yeah, whatever, come on Arthur we need to get out of here," Merlin said, dragging Arthur back. Arthur went with him to stunned to do anything else. He stood in the hallway of the house that he had visited regularly, which had always been something of a pleasantry. There was a pool, and a games room, and Arthur often got time to indulge himself before he had to do his job, or after it. Geoff tired out and if Arthur didn't want to sleep he was given a fairly good run of the house.

Without really considering where he was going Arthur walked downstairs, his mind branded with the sight of the body on the bed. The head was intact, there was no doubt it was the old man, who had paid for him regularly. Arthur swallowed heavily, wondering what could have done that, leaving the man in pieces, which were so perfectly placed, as if they expected them to be found.

He turned and went down the corridor towards the pool and games room, the places where he usually hung out if he came here. Geoff never seemed to mind him wandering about, taking him around some of the rooms, and showing him some of the treasures. What baffled Arthur was his lack of concern for things that cost mind boggling amounts of money. The house did not have huge amounts of security. Arthur wondered where the chauffer had gone. Maybe he ought to find out, he turned, knowing Merlin was following along behind him, about to ask about it when an open door caught his eye.

It was a heavy oak door, Arthur had tried it once, to find it firmly locked. So he hadn't worried about it. He knew there were expensive things in the house and as much as he was trusted, and allowed to wander Arthur took the hint and left well alone. He did not want to fuck up his undemanding regular job by a simple momentary whim of curiosity.

Now the door to the room had been forced open, the wood splintered around the handle and lock where it had been ripped open. Arthur frowned and went towards it, pushing it open a little.

"Arthur, maybe we should wait for Gwaine, or Lancelot," Merlin said. Arthur glanced at him and then reached under his hoodie and pulled out the gun, releasing the safety catch and holding the weapon as Lancelot had taught him. Arthur shouldered the door open further, peering into the darkness.

"Gwaine," Merlin's voice was soft, and Arthur heard the sound of footsteps coming swiftly down the corridor, and he sensed Gwaine's presence behind him. Arthur turned to glance at him.

"Have you ever been in here?"

Arthur shook his head. "No, the door was locked when I tried it once, I didn't think about it after that."

Gwaine carefully reached around Arthur, making him step back. Gwaine looked at the damage done to the door.

"Somebody certainly did though," Gwaine said, taking the position Arthur had and pushing the door open further. Arthur shuffled to one side to peer around the door, but it was in complete darkness. Gwaine lifted his gun carefully, aiming it into the room.

"Light switch should be on the inside of the door there," he said, nodding in the relevant direction. Arthur took the hint, and reaching around the doorframe fumbled his hand around the area where he guessed the switch to be. It took him a few seconds but his hand pressed against a metal panel and he found a row of switches. Putting his hand across the panel he flipped up as many of the switches as he could in one go.

The sudden bright lights made the three of them wince, but as Gwaine eased his way further in it was clear the long, narrow room was empty of people. The three of them wandered in, looking around.

"It's like a museum," Arthur said. "I know he bought antiques and stuff but this is like a serious obsession."

There were maps, pictures and sketches framing the walls, running down either side of the room. Two long tables dominated the floor, both of them covered with books, and parchments, some of them carefully locked away in glass panelled cabinets. Halfway down, on the left table was a working space, with an angle poise lamp, magnifying glasses, tweezers and chemical bottles stacked around.

"Wow, it's all about the legend of Camelot. He must know as much as us," Merlin mused in awe.

"Much good it did him," Gwaine said, wandering down the length of the room.

"We'd better get Uther," Merlin said. Then he looked up at Gwaine, who had paused at the far end, staring at what adorned the end wall. Merlin blinked jumping as Arthur brushed past him and then Gwaine to stare at what was there.

"It would seem this guy knew more than us," Gwaine murmured.

Arthur stared at the wall, feeling a cold stirring in the pit of his stomach. He stepped forward two more paces, peering at some of the sheets on the wall. Newspaper articles adorned the wall, ones that he knew well, relating to the spate of rapes of which he had been a victim, and there was even the police report, including some of the photographs taken by the police doctor. A little to the left of that was information about his mother's illness, and just above that a picture of Arthur, the only school photograph he had ever had taken, when he had first started; a clean, and shining and happy five year old. He hadn't bothered since, who would want a picture of him, his mother hadn't been there, and who else was there.

His stomach churned as he looked to the right, there were CCTV pictures of him working the streets, some of the police reports from when he had been picked up and cautioned. Arthur closed his eyes as he saw the one of him on his knees some guy's cock in his mouth as he gave a blow job. They weren't the only ones, there were some that must have been taken while he was working, someone spying on him, several of him entering the motel, some of him on the streets, and some of them when he had slept here, at the house, thinking it safe enough. Arthur focused on one in the middle that had been blown up, making it a focal point. He had been sprawled in the bed, where the owner of the house now lay, dismembered by something or someone. In the photograph Arthur was naked, sprawled in the sheets, unaware of the photograph being taken. Near to it was a charcoal sketch where someone had recreated the image, and another sketch that depicted him in armour, with a cloak around his shoulders.

He felt himself give a heavy, choked breath. His entire life was on this wall, the man who had been buying him every other Wednesday knew who he was, had known something about him. It probably meant that that was the only reason he had wanted him, had asked Aled for someone of his physical description.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked tentatively.

Arthur wasn't aware that he was backing up out of the room, his eyes stayed fixed on the wall, the two things prominent in his mind were the photographs, one of him as a child, the other as a rent boy. He was aware of the drumming sound in his ears, and his body prickled with heat while his stomach churned over and over. One hand grasped the edge of the table, and he couldn't help it as he convulsed and vomited onto the floor, coughing and choking as he did so.

"Come on Arthur, I think we had better get you out of here," Gwaine said, his voice also filled with concern. He and Merlin glanced at each other, both coming to the conclusion that they needed Arthur away from this scene, they probably needed him out of the house altogether. Gwaine watched as Arthur started to shake, slowly backing up. He moved close enough that he could take the gun out of Arthur's hand. It made Arthur jerk back in shock and he slammed his hip against the nearest table, causing some of the items on top to rock and rattle about. Arthur recoiled again, eyes wide, hardly now seeing anything.

"Shit," Gwaine murmured, putting the gun down. Arthur backed up, stumbling and falling over and as both Merlin and Gwaine moved to help him, he curled up, shuttling away from them wrapping his arms around his head, trying to blot out the sound of his heart crashing in his ears. Arthur whimpered in panic, kicking out as Gwaine tried to take hold of him. Gwaine faltered, hesitating a little as Arthur curled up on his side, whimpering and kicking.

"Arthur, it's all right, it's Merlin."

He tried to take Arthur's shoulders, hoping to sit him up and attempt to settle him down. Arthur lashed out, Gwaine yanked Merlin back out of the way and Arthur pushed himself further under the table, struggling to get away. Gwaine pushed Merlin in the direction of the door.

"Get Uther."

"But…" Merlin protested. Gwaine glowered at him.

"Go, get him or Lancelot, I'll look after Arthur."

Through the drumming in his ears Arthur heard frantic footsteps as Merlin ran off, and he huddled back as he sensed someone close to him but Gwaine made no attempt to touch him. Arthur had made it quite clear he didn't appreciate it, Gwaine instead lingered close by just in case.

Arthur remained curled up in his own nightmare, not wanting to believe what was happening around him, but he couldn't ignore it. The situation got worse as his senses picked up several people suddenly crowding in on him. He gave a scream, he didn't want people touching him. He lashed out again, at whoever had pulled him out from under the table. Arthur tried to haul himself away but couldn't fight the grip. There was a sudden searing pain in his arm and seconds later Arthur sank into darkness.


	14. Chapter 14

Uther slowly withdrew the needle from Arthur's arm, watching him relax as the drug overwhelmed his system. Then he glared at Gwaine, who released the hold he had on Arthur, which he had employed when he realised Uther's intention. Gwaine looked back steadily, biting his tongue to prevent himself from pointing out that drugging Arthur probably didn't get to the root of Arthur's problems.

"What the hell happened?"

"I think seeing his regular punter dismembered started it, the gallery on the far wall finished it," Gwaine said, nodding in the relevant direction. Uther slowly stood up, eyes moving to take in what was there. Merlin knelt by Arthur, lifting him gently and resting the blond man's head on his thigh, stroking his hair in a soothing gesture. Arthur would hate it, Gwaine thought to himself, but didn't say anything to Merlin, who was the one benefiting from comforting an unconscious Arthur.

Uther stepped forward, looking at the wall, reaching up he plucked the school photograph off the wall, staring at it as if trying to imprint it on his memory. Uther turned to look down at Arthur, his face peaceful in oblivion, almost trying to see if he could find the happy beaming child somewhere in the adult. Uther turned back to confront the rest of the wall, and some of the less pleasant aspects of his son's life. He continued to grip the photograph in his hand, his knuckles turning white but the cardboard frame remained undamaged in the grip. Uther had no intention of damaging it.

"Sir?" Lancelot came into the room, staring around and finally focusing on Arthur and Merlin sprawled on the floor.

"Anything on the body?" Uther asked, his voice overly calm. Everyone in the room shifted uncomfortably, and when Morgana stepped in, Lancelot backed up.

"As far as we can tell he was taken apart slowly, furthest parts of the limbs first and working towards the torso. We'll need Gaius to analyse the body to work out the time of death, and how long it was between the first dismemberment to when he died and what did it. I've got the team packing up the body, the sheets and the painting in the study."

"We'll need to clear everything in this room."

"Check to see if it looks like anything has been touched, or if anything is missing," Morgana said to Lancelot. "Let's photograph the scene before we move anything. Is Arthur all right?"

"He is now," Gwaine said, in a mildly disapproving tone.

"We shouldn't have brought him," Merlin mused, still stroking. Gwaine reached down to start doing the same to Merlin.

"Yes, we should, but I think he's just getting too many shocks in a short space of time, something like this was bound to happen. Better sooner rather than later."

"And what is that meant to mean?" Uther demanded, his eyes boring into Gwaine. Gwaine looked back levelly.

"Gwaine," Merlin warned in a low tone.

"No, Merlin," Gwaine said, suddenly refusing to stay quiet. "I may not be the kid's number one fan, but he needs to let off steam somehow, and it wouldn't kill you to look even remotely concerned now and again, you can't stick a needle into him every time he gets hard to deal with," he informed Uther. "Unless you just plan to convert him from a rent-boy to a drug addict."

Merlin winced inwardly as Uther stalked towards Gwaine. Gwaine held his ground, it didn't do you much good if you backed off when challenging Uther.

"I don't remember asking for your opinion."

Gwaine gave him a humourless smile, "No one ever asks for yours but we always end up hearing it. You can't wrap him in cotton wool, nor can you push him to hard."

"I think he's right," Morgana said, into the very tense silence that occurred. Then she turned to Lancelot. "We'll deal with everything in this room, let's photograph and remove everything, and get it back. Gwaine, Merlin why don't you take the other jeep and deal with Arthur."

Morgana distributed out the commands with utter calm and Uther, although watching belligerently did nothing to contradict her. Merlin smiled at her in appreciation. She was trying to diffuse the situation, and was the only one that could, when Uther became difficult. Gwaine shrugged and reaching down, and with Lancelot's help, he got Arthur over his shoulder and took him out of the house.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Arthur groaned as he roused. His head was pounding and his mouth felt dry. He rolled on the bed, registering the comfortable mattress and clean smelling sheets, and for a moment he couldn't quite recall where he was.

"Morning," a voice drawled. "Just."

Arthur looked up and glared at Gwaine. He was sprawled on the couch that had originally been set against the far wall of the room, but had been moved so it was closer to the bed. He was sprawled back with Merlin slouched against him, his head resting on Gwaine's shoulder while he slept. Arthur blinked and shifted in the bed, the softness of it still felt strange. But then he reminded himself, he had not been in this house long, it was only three days since he had been dragged to this place. It just felt longer. So much had happened.

"Hi," Arthur said, confusion making him a little more congenial than usual. He looked around, sunlight was streaming into the room, making it seem bright and cheery, the ivory wallpaper almost glowing. "What happened?"

"Don't you remember?" Gwaine asked. "We went to Geoffrey Monmouth's place, your punter."

"Oh, God, I remember that!" Arthur said. "And then there was that room, and then I don't… remember. What happened?"

"You had hysterics, kind of, but not surprising considering what we found there. We brought you back after Uther sedated you," Gwaine nodded in Merlin's direction. The dark haired youth hadn't roused but as Gwaine moved Merlin snuggled tighter to him.

"Oh God. He had my entire life on that wall."

"Most of it, Morgana and Lancelot have brought it all back, and Gaius is doing an autopsy in the hope of finding out what happened. The fact that he knew exactly who you are kind of puts a whole new light on the situation."

"Does it?" Arthur asked.

"If anyone kills you, we have no Once and Future King, someone who is necessary to restore the balance. We either end up waiting several more centuries for it to be ready again or the whole world falls into chaos as Magic forces it's way back in. No pressure," Gwaine said.

Arthur huffed a very humourless laugh. Gwaine shrugged his shoulder and stroked Merlin's cheekbone.

"Merlin?" Gwaine drawled in a sing-song tone, shrugging his shoulder to dislodge Merlin. Then he shrugged a bit harder as Merlin mumbled and tried to settle himself down again. "Merlin, Arthur is awake."

"What?" Merlin mumbled in a sleepy tone. Then his head jerked up, almost bashing Gwaine on the jaw. "What? When?" he yelped turning to assess Arthur.

"Just a minute or so ago," Gwaine said.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Merlin accused him.

"I just did," Gwaine announced patiently, stroking Merlin's messed up hair. Arthur cringed at the intimate gesture, but not just out of discomfort, he realised, there was a shred of jealousy worming it's way in. Arthur couldn't ever have that, too much had happened, he would never be able to take that kind of contact, there were usually too many strings attached.

Merlin was able to take it for granted. He didn't flinch away, there wasn't a moment's consideration that Gwaine might hurt him. Arthur doubted Gwaine ever would hurt Merlin, he cared for him too much. It was the way it had always been for Merlin. Merlin had a bloody, easy life, Arthur thought angrily. Then he felt bad as Merlin sat forward, looking at him in concern.

"Are you all right?"

"I guess."

"Gaius will want to check you over, we'd better tell him Arthur's awake," Merlin said, looking at Gwaine. Gwaine rolled his eyes and pulled away from Merlin, lifting his arm from the back of the chair.

"You meant you want me to go and tell Gaius that he's awake. I could use up my free minutes you know," Gwaine said getting out his phone.

Merlin grinned at him and gave him a little shove which made Gwaine get up and head towards the door, tucking his phone back into his pocket. He paused as he opened it.

"I will also have to tell Uther," he warned Arthur. Arthur bit down on his lip.

"Did he see all that stuff on the wall?"

"Yes, we brought it back with us as well." Gwaine winced in sympathy as Arthur gave a groan. "If it's any consolation Uther isn't letting anyone take a look at it."

"But I guess he has," Arthur said, shrinking down in the bed.

"Probably, he can't understand anything about you any other way. You won't let him," Gwaine said before he went out of the door closing it quietly behind him. Arthur frowned and then looked at Merlin, who sat a little further forward. He almost got up and moved to sit on the side of the bed but at the last minute he assessed Arthur and realised that might not be the best idea.

"Are you okay?"

"The guy who was my nicest client, who seemed like a fairly good guy, was also aware of all this and was collecting information on my entire life, and was also fucking me for money, he also enjoyed it by the way, and I always feel okay with it, as best you can get. It's my life, welcome to it. People use me, I don't see it changing any time soon."

"That's a no then?" Merlin said. Arthur looked up, trying to glare at him. "Thought so."

"Well, shut up then!" Arthur snapped.

Merlin grinned. Arthur tried to glower.

"I'm not making light of it," Merlin said. "I'm not, but you don't seem like someone who gives up that easily."

Arthur reached up to rub his face. "I don't know what I'm doing any more, easy or not."

"Look, I know it's not perfect, everything we are trying to tell you and most of us seem like spoilt brats, in comparison," Merlin said, "But no one wants to…"

He stopped as there was a knock at the door, which was then opened by Gaius, who wandered in without any consideration. He put his medical bag down on the end of the bed and opened it up.

"I need to check you over, blood pressure, sugar levels, and another blood test. Have you been on any medication recently, which you haven't told me about?"

Arthur snorted at the intonation of his words. "If you are asking if I am on any kind of drugs, the answer is no, unless you count the odd slug of alcohol and hits of nicotine."

"You smoke?" Gaius snapped. Arthur nodded. "How often? And how many a day?"

"I normally have a ten pack on me but it's rare I use them and only if the person I'm with smokes. Although most of the time I use theirs."

"The other times?"

"We get bad clients, we often huddle and do a solidarity thing. We can't make it any better for each other but at least we can reassure each other that it's consistently awful."

"So you're not suffering any withdrawal?"

"I said it was consistently awful," Arthur said.

"I can ask Gwen to buy some nicotine patches before she comes into work," Gaius said.

"Do they do any good?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know, I've never treated anyone who was quitting before," Gaius said. Arthur lifted his arm to allow Gaius to wrap the blood pressure reader around his arm. Arthur said nothing as Gaius pumped up the arm band and then used his stethoscope to listen to his heartbeat. Then he double checked Arthur's breathing, temperature and generally prodded and poked him. Arthur tensed and flinched at every touch, making it clear he wasn't happy about it, but he tolerated Gaius without complaint. It was obvious to Arthur that Gaius only wanted to manhandle him in the interests of his health. Arthur didn't have to like it, but he got through it and as he tided up he commented calmly.

"You're fine, I really don't want you to have to be sedated quite that dramatically again, I think we'll try the nicotine patches to see if that might be an issue and I'd be inclined to put you on anti-depressants," Gaius paused as Arthur's rude intervention.

"No, way, not a chance!"

Gaius regarded him with a steady glare. "Can I finish?"

"Yes," Arthur said.

"I would be inclined to, but Gwaine had already been one to point out that might not solve the problem, unless we just want to turn you into a drug addict."

"No chance of that, trust me. I'm fucked up, not stupid."

"However, I think some mild herbal remedies might just help a little. Essentially you're fine, and I would rather recommend him playing out with the other boys," Gaius said to Merlin.

"What?" Arthur demanded.

"They were all going to have an afternoon on the training field, and Lancelot keeps saying he wants to start your training handling a sword. He's got fifty quid in his wallet ready and waiting, whatever that means."

"I didn't like him trying to reposition me on the firing range, he paid twenty quid and then I let him do it. It's weird how that works."

"It's just a simple psychological reaction," Gaius said.

"What?"

"A sort of self hypnosis, as it were. People can go and get help in not craving cigarettes, or sleeping deeper, the mind can be taught if the person is willing, or needs to do it. The principle applies. They gave you money, your mind learnt to give in to let them have access to you. All you have done is trained your mind into accepting it. It's clearly very fixed now."

"Oh," Arthur said. "I never thought of it like that."

"No reason that you would. And you may not find it easy to get out of the habit. Do not tell Lancelot that, I know what he's like when it comes to training willing people. You can tell him to play nicely," Gaius warned Merlin.

"I'm not going to say anything about that. Is there any way to train the mind back?" Merlin asked.

"Yes, but that will have to be conscious effort on Arthur's part."

"Great," Arthur said. Merlin glanced at him.

"You could try, this afternoon, after lunch, you don't have to get involved if you don't want to."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Baffled amusement took Arthur onto the training field that day. It was the space that he had seen from the window when he had left his room. The fenced off area was very neatly maintained, he noticed, as they gathered. Merlin had followed tailing along after them, carrying some of the equipment that Arthur might need.

Along with them were Gwaine, naturally, and then Lancelot, Leon and another of Lancelot's team, Percival. They had kept the group small, since Arthur had been willing to come out with them. Arthur found himself almost relaxing with the small group as they trooped out, laughing and joking with each other. They didn't try to drag him into it, which would have seemed nothing more than awkward. Instead they joshed along, heading out into the sunshine and Arthur didn't feel silly in the padded shirt he was wearing, because the rest of them, barring Merlin, were wearing the same thing.

Merlin dumped all the equipment he was carrying down and Leon and Percival started to help him sort it out. They had spent ten minutes in the armoury trying to find a sword that seemed well-balanced for Arthur. Arthur had no idea what he was actually meant to be feeling for but Lancelot had chosen three options out of the ones that were lined up in one rack. There were two more racks, holding another dozen or so swords each.

"Try that one," Lancelot said, handing Arthur one of the swords.

"And do what with it?" Arthur said. "Besides avoiding accidentally stabbing someone."

"All of these swords are specially blunted, and we've got tips to put on the ends so the worst you will do is give someone a nasty bruise. Trust me, you'll be fine."

"I hope so," Arthur said.

Lancelot stared at him thoughtfully. "I have a feeling that you will be naturally rather good at this."

"And if the worst comes to the worst, we can just pair him up with Merlin," Gwaine said grinning. Merlin glared at him.

"Ha, bloody, ha."

The rest of them sniggered good-naturedly, Arthur glanced around, realising there was a joke he didn't comprehend.

"Merlin can't keep a sword in his hand for more than ten seconds," Morgana's voice explained. Arthur turned, and goggled a little, since Morgana had clearly come to join them. The other men gaped and Percival, at the sight of her, blushed and found something very interesting in the pile of equipment as he recovered himself. Morgana watched them all with a smirk.

"Is that designer armour?" Arthur asked her, looking at the metal plates that covered her stomach, and the light looking chain mail shirt she was wearing. Metal cuffs covered her wrists and she was wearing thick leather gloves, which matched her leather trousers and boots. Even for a fight she came out perfectly dressed, her hair smooth, hanging in a plait down her back.

She gave Arthur an arched look. "It does the job."

"Okay," Arthur said, nodding in understanding, pointing the sword in the general direction of the armour covering her torso, emphasising her waist. "Because the whole corset thing is completely functional, with no aesthetic thought to it at all."

Morgana smirked and scanned the group. Percival managed to go even redder and almost fell over trying to pretend he was rummaging around in the equipment. Leon didn't seem to quite know where to look, mainly because of Arthur's quite blatant behaviour, so he settled for looking at Percival, which didn't help the other man at all. Lancelot and Gwaine watched the verbal sparring, one out of curiosity and the other with amusement.

"It has it's uses," Morgana said.

"I'll bet it does. Did you design that yourself?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact," Morgana said. "Lancelot made it though."

"Actually I commissioned some of it to Gwen's father, on the premise it was a fancy dress costume."

Arthur shrugged, looking Morgana up and down again. "It suits you."

"Thank you, I wonder if you'll be saying that once I've beaten you," she said drawing her sword.

"I presume that's your melee sword," Lancelot asked. Morgana rolled her eyes at him.

"Of course it is."

"I'm the weapons technician, it's my job to check these things," he said in reply to her snotty tone.

"What's a melee sword?" Arthur asked.

"A blunted weapon, they are designed to be used in a tournament called a melee."

"Oh right, so what's a melee?" Arthur asked, thinking that he really ought to know the answer to that.

"It a tournament when the knights ride around with aforementioned blunt weapons, knocking seven bells out of each other until the last man standing can be called the winner," Merlin informed him.

"Sounds like a normal night out at The Castle," Arthur commented. "That was the ultimate test of strength and courage."

"What?" Gwaine asked as everyone looked at Arthur in surprise. Arthur didn't seem to be surprised, or aware, of what he had just said.

"One of the pubs I used to go to, rough but they usually didn't mind if we wanted a bit of time out of the cold."

"Sounds like a nice place. What was that strength and courage bit you were on about," Merlin said. Arthur shrugged.

"Dunno, just sounded good, why?" Arthur looked at him in curiosity. Merlin shrugged back.

"Just sounded interesting," Merlin said.

"Right," Lancelot said, determined to get to Arthur's training one way or another. "Leon, we'll start you sparring with Arthur. Gwaine, Percival, go and warm up, you can take over in a bit."

The two men wandered a little away and gently started clashing their swords. Arthur watched a little nervously.

"Shouldn't I just watch for a bit?"

"No," Lancelot said sternly. "Now, do I need to pay you fifty quid before I start?"

Arthur took a breath, considering what Gaius had said earlier on. "No, I'm sure I'll be fine."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

It took Arthur some effort, and a good deal of his concentration, to not get distracted and tense when Lancelot and Morgana both came too close. The problem affected Arthur's performance at the beginning but as his body and mind started to focus on what he was doing his distraction lessoned.

They both started off working on his grip and balance, and making sure he could actually swing the weapon with some confidence before putting him against Leon. Arthur lost the sword on the third clash as the force jolted his arm.

"Bloody hell," said Arthur, retrieving the sword and readjusting his grip.

"You okay?" Lancelot asked.

"Yeah, it just takes some getting used to."

"You're doing fine," Morgana said. Arthur shifted his grip about.

"It probably doesn't help that my wrist was broken a while back," Arthur said.

"When?" Morgana said, a slight frown crossing her features, it went away quickly as Arthur glanced at her. He shrugged, almost casually, but his eyes had turned a little opaque and his jaw tensed.

"A few years ago."

Morgana took the hint not to press any further. "Gauntlets will probably help, we could probably get some fitted up for you. Loosen your grip and just relax your wrist, you're tensing up every time to strike, you need to brace with more than just your hand."

"Okay."

He got better. Every time he heard some new piece of advice he took it and got better. He waited for something bad to happen, as Gwaine and Percival stopped messing around and came over to get involved and the pairings swapped around. They all started sparring off each other, and Arthur felt a bit embarrassed that he couldn't even hold his own against Morgana. She was fast, and used that to compensate for her lack of strength, compared to the others. Percival had Arthur down in three minutes he was so strong.

Never though, did anything bad happen. Arthur slowly felt himself relax especially when Merlin was press-ganged in against him and as Merlin fought back Arthur soon won the bout, Merlin ended up on his rump, with his sulking very forced.

"It doesn't really count, Merlin's useless," Gwaine said, ruffling his hair.

Everyone turned, and Merlin bit back his retort as Arthur gave a delighted laugh, that sounded uncharacteristically joyous. They all looked at him as he was suddenly without self-consciousness and clearly relaxed and happy with the environment.

"Well, that proves one thing," he announced happily.

"What's that?" Merlin asked, taking the bait. Arthur grinned at him.

"That I'm not useless!"

"We'll find that out!"

All of them jumped and turned. Uther was walking across the training ground, dressed as they were only neater, his black clothing standing out from their faded over-used and ragged shirts, which were now damp with sweat. Arthur blinked, brushing his hair out of his eyes as Uther regarded him calmly, drawing the sword he was carrying and swinging it in the air. He stepped away from the group further into the arena, and he waited.

"Come on then."

Arthur glanced at the others, who just looked back but the hint was there. It was not something Arthur could ignore, he moved over to Uther with reluctance, the joy of the situation rapidly draining away. It was fine with the others, and they all watched as the tension rebuilt in Arthur. He remembered all that Lancelot and Morgana taught him and readied himself. Uther didn't move for a moment, and Arthur's eyes drifted to the others, wondering if they knew what was happening, or if it had all been part of a horrible joke.

That was when Uther struck.

Arthur got the sword up in time to defend himself, the blow was hard but he fended it off, backed up and knocked the next to away, dancing back away from Uther. Again he tried to look to the others, this time for help, they all looked frozen in shock and as Uther struck again Arthur reacted quickly again, but his sword felt lighter.

"Merlin, I saw that," Uther snarled, his eyes fixed on Arthur. "Stay out of it."

Arthur had long enough to see Gwaine put a hand on Merlin's shoulder before there was an attack he just backed up under. He wasn't good enough, an afternoon's training was not enough to hold against a man who had spent his lifetime learning it. Arthur ended up on the floor with Uther's sword carefully placed against his neck. Such was Uther skill he didn't need the tip of his sword covered; when he lunged down, he stopped the point just in place, so he didn't draw blood.

"Not good enough yet," Uther said. Arthur lifted his eyes and his anger surged up, white hot, bursting out of every single pore in his body. He glared up.

"Not for your fancy shit," Arthur snarled. "But don't think you've won!"

He was in perfect position. Arthur lifted his leg and kicked Uther's knee out from under him. The blow was brutal, knocking him down and at the same time, Arthur knocked the sword away with his own and as Uther dropped, he slammed the hilt of his sword into his father's face sending him flying back, Uther's head recoiling under the impact. Uther sprawled down onto the floor and there were gasps from the audience. Arthur looked up at them and then back down to Uther. Morgana and Merlin ran forward, both of them checking Uther over. The man in question shook his head and sat up, blood was streaming from his nose, but that seemed to be the worst of the damage.

Arthur carried on backing up, eyes wide and they were rolling in his head as he looked around in panic. The sword slipped from his grasp and before anyone could stop him he turned tail and ran. He went across the training field, under the fence and around the side of the building before anyone else could move.

Merlin was the first to get up and try and follow. Gwaine caught him.

"But!"

"Merlin, leave him. He's held by the spell, he won't leave the grounds, just let him settle down. You'll be able to find him later. Leon, see if you can find Mordred, tell him to pick up on surveillance, just keep Arthur in line of sight but not engage in any way."

Leon nodded and headed off. Gwaine went to help Lancelot get Uther onto his feet. The sun flickered as the clouds passed over and they turned their back on it, heading off into the castle, the shadows seeming longer, the wind rising with a chill and the day sudden marred, none of them saying it, but they made their feelings clear.

The only one who didn't was Uther.


	15. Chapter 15

Gwen had been told to come in later that day. Morgana had phoned to say she wasn't needed in the morning, but could she come in to clean in the afternoon and make an evening meal, any duties that she didn't get to, it would be fine to catch up on tomorrow. Again her father and brother had questioned her about it but Gwen had dismissed it. She was paid well, even if she didn't do all her hours. It was at their instigation if she didn't do what she was required to do and she was never penalized for it. So she did her job, and followed the instructions that she was given.

Morgana had also bought her a mobile phone especially so she didn't have to walk up to the house unnecessarily. It was after the third occasion that had happened that Morgana had done so. Gwen had thanked her, but she didn't think it was just plain courtesy. There were times they didn't want her anywhere near the house, seeing something she shouldn't. Not that she would tell anyone, she had signed a confidentiality clause when she had started.

That had been checked upon, she was sure of that. The people in the house had been seen around the nearby town where her family lived, and some of them used the local pub. Gwen made sure she said nothing, except about the amount of dust she found in the old house. It was a source of great speculation. Uther Pendragon kept to himself, rarely mixing with the people from the village. Morgana and Merlin had no such reserve, nor the employees that seemed to linger around the house, not seeming to do much of anything.

Gwen had vague recollections, from when she was younger, of being up at the house, helping by rubbing a duster over various safe places while her mother worked, when she had been the cleaner. It felt right being there, in the same role her mother had been given.

She remembered Morgana from those days, nearly fifteen years ago. Gwen thought she had looked so doll like. And she had felt very proud when she had been allowed to play with the pretty, perfect looking girl in the house, who had such nice toys. Gwen was also careful to dust them after she had played, and put them away nicely. She was sure it was why she was given the job, because of Morgana.

When she had applied she didn't think for a moment that she would be in with a chance. She thought it was only because she was local that they had granted an interview. Not for one moment did she think Uther would employ her. Then walking into the interview room Gwen had got the shock of her life. Morgana, back from boarding school, and Merlin, who Gwen had seen about at the local school, were interviewing. It was less an interview and more of a chat. But it still surprised her when Morgana had phoned her later that day and offered her the job. Gwen had almost literally snatched her hand off.

Her father hadn't been happy. It didn't bring up good memories.

There were strange things that had happened. No one spoke of it but her mother's death had been tainted by the house. She hadn't died there, but they had been around her home, after it happened. Gwen remembered Uther coming to see her father, after the strange things and Gwen had wet herself again while he had been there, no more than a child, confused as to why her mother was no longer there. She couldn't seem to help it, after what had happened to her mother, a dark shadow and screaming and…

"Arthur?"

She paused as she walked up the driveway, glad to find a distraction from her musing. The shadow she had spotted moved a little, but the sunlight was still hitting the blond hair of the man huddled under the bushes, his face hidden in his gloved hands. Gwen moved closer and crouched down. Arthur's head didn't rise; he seemed to press his face even harder into his hands.

"Are you all right?"

Arthur's head shook. Gwen tried to duck down to see his face as Arthur's breath hitched.

"What is it?" Gwen asked, unsure what to really do. She waited. Arthur gave her nothing back. Gwen didn't know him well enough to probe that deeply. She had only had one short conversation with him, and his appearance in the house, after so long, had been a rather dramatic mystery.

"Should I go and tell your father you're here?"

She was answered by a frantic shake of the head and a heavily draw in breath that appeared to be close to a sob.

"What about Merlin?"

This time there was just a shake, although Arthur was still breathing heavily. Gwen bit down on her lip.

"Oh, then I don't know what to do. I can't go to the house without telling them you're there, and I don't want to leave you either, really," Gwen mused out loud, half talking to Arthur and half talking to herself. She really did feel lost as to what to do.

"Did something happen?" Gwen asked gently. Arthur nodded.

"You probably can't talk about it. I'm not supposed to know what really goes on up there."

"That's makes it sound like you do," Arthur said, his voice was silted and thick, heavy with emotion. Gwen paused, crouching down. Arthur tensed, seeming to sense her, but Gwen had carefully kept some distance. She backed up and perched herself on one of the logs that had been put down to mark out the driveway.

"I know it's a bit strange, and I don't understand it. I'm paid not to, I know that."

"You just look the other way!"

"I do not!" Gwen snapped. "But I've got my father and brother to look after. After my mother… how dare you! How dare you say that! I'm going to the house, I'll tell Morgana, or Merlin, where you are."

"Please don't! Please! I'm sorry!"

Arthur raised his head and stared at her. Gwen hesitated. She had been told in no uncertain terms that if she saw anything untoward in the grounds or the house she was to inform someone. Arthur didn't exactly fall into that category. Slowly Gwen sat herself down again and Arthur's distressed face disappeared again. That was what had made her pause, Arthur's reddened eyes and pale face. It was quite obvious something had happened, and he wasn't ready to face any of the others. Gwen looked Arthur up and down, she had seen the others dressed like he was, wearing gloves and a padded shirt. She had seen them with swords, and other weapons, as if from another era.

"Arthur what happened?" Gwen asked. Arthur gave a shrug.

"I guess you're hiding from someone."

She got a nod.

"I doubt Merlin," Gwen said, getting a shake of Arthur's head. She went for the most obvious choice. "Uther."

The answer was obvious, Arthur nodded his assent.

"He's your father, I suppose you are going to argue with him."

Arthur shrugged, Gwen bit down on her lip.

"I can understand it a bit, he's not the easiest person to get on with. Most of the time I try and avoid him. It's not hard really, he doesn't pay that much attention to me. It's usually Morgana that gives me most of my instructions. Morgana's nice, she can seem to handle him."

"Are they… like?" Arthur said, with obvious intonation. Gwen's eyes widened.

"Oh, no!" Gwen said in shock. "Nothing like that. He adopted her years ago, when she was a little girl. I used to come here when I was little, when my mother was the cleaner. Morgana and I used to play. It was nice, until…"

Arthur lifted his head. "Until what?"

"I was told never to talk about it."

"I'm not going to tell anyone."

Gwen shrugged. "I know, but I'm never sure what to say around here, sometimes." She glanced about, so did Arthur.

"I doubt anyone is around," Arthur said. "Otherwise I'd have been dragged back to the house by now, and probably locked up."

"I think that's a bit extreme."

"Trust me, it's not."

They were silent for a while, Arthur putting his head back down. It was clear he didn't really want to talk to her. The only reason he had, Gwen thought, was to stop her from going to find someone else. Arthur quite obviously wasn't ready to face anyone else. Gwen didn't want to leave him, and she didn't dare go up to the house and just carry on with her work, with Arthur sat here. She guessed she was sitting there for the duration. Since she wasn't quite sure what to say to Arthur, she just stayed still, waiting.

Arthur ran his gloved fingers through his hair and kept his head down.

"I'm not stupid," Gwen said after a moment's pause. She tucked her legs up and her hands started to fiddle with the laces of her trainers. Arthur didn't answer, not that she expected him to, she had only had two encounters with him, both of them very short. She didn't know quite what to make of it.

"It's not exactly a normal house, and the people in it aren't very normal either. They talk about stuff when I'm around, I don't think that notice me that much half the time."

"Same here," Arthur said.

"That's not true, I know they've been looking for you, for a long time."

"And I was such a disappointment when they found me."

"What makes you say that?"

Arthur huffed and raised his head to look at her. "Because I'm nothing more than a piece of shit rent boy. That's where they found me, selling myself on the streets."

He found he didn't gain much satisfaction watching Gwen's eyes widen in shock, and she blinked, biting down on her lower lip.

"Oh, erm…" Gwen paused. "I'm not sure how to answer that."

"I don't think there is much of an answer."

"What about your mother?" Gwen asked.

"Died when I was little, she had cancer."

"I'm sorry. They said my mother suffered an aneurysm."

"You don't sound sure."

"She used to work up at the house, I'd sometimes come and help out, dusting things that were low enough anyway."

Arthur's mouth lifted in something of a smile.

"There was something, I saw something. I was too little to really tell anyone about it, when I tried to they just thought it was my imagination. I guess my father just thought I was making stories up to deal with what happened."

"She died in the house?" Arthur asked.

Gwen shook her head, looking down to concentrate on fiddling more intensively on her laces.

"No, it was at home, but I saw something, it was just a shadow, but I kept seeing it, first up here, and then at home, then she just collapsed one night."

"And you think it was something to do with the house, or… what goes on?"

Gwen shook her head. "I don't know, I just know it started up there. I think. I'm not sure."

"Was that why you took the job?" Arthur asked. "As the housekeeper."

"Maybe, I know it could have just been my imagination, I was only five at the time."

"I was a little younger than that when my mum died. I don't remember seeing shadows, I just remember wondering where the hell my mother had gone. There was just this walking skeleton in her place."

"I'm sorry. It's not easy is it?"

"It's one of those scenarios when you never get a proper answer. If nothing else, people think you are too young to understand it." Arthur looked down, tracing patterns in the soil with his fingers.

"Can I ask?" Gwen started. Arthur looked up at her, and gave a cynical smirk.

"If she died when I was so young, why didn't I come to live with my father?"

"Well, yeah," Gwen asked.

"My mother didn't want me found, not by him. She was using a different name, and once I went into the children's home, I just fell off the grid. Everything went to shit from there."

"But he must have been looking for you, to eventually find you. It probably took him a while."

"I think he was looking for us even when my mother was alive. She didn't want to be found, I don't blame her, the guy's a tosser."

"You don't mean that," Gwen said.

"I do, but don't worry, I think the feeling's mutual. I don't think he thinks much of me either, especially since I've just punched him in the face."

Gwen shrugged. "Knowing Uther, he'll probably be impressed with that. He respects Morgana because she tells him off. She's the only person that really can. You could probably get away with it as well, if you tried it."

"I suppose," Arthur said. "I don't know."

"You make it sound like you want him to like you," Gwen said.

"Maybe I just want answers. I want to know why my mother ran, why she never told him where I was. If she'd have done that, before she died, instead of hiding me, I wouldn't be a fucking whore, would I?"

"You're not anymore," Gwen said. She carefully unfurled herself, dusting her jeans down before looking down at Arthur. "And neither of us will get any answers hiding under bushes, come on."

She held out her hand to help him up. After a moment's consideration Arthur reached up to put his gloved hand in hers and uncrossing his legs he got up, letting Gwen help pull him, almost toppling them both over as they staggered. Arthur tensed a little, stepping back, but he didn't pull his hand free from hers. Gwen started to walk down the path, using her grip to coax Arthur along.

"Guinevere," Arthur said. She turned her head.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's a nice name."

"Sounds a bit pretentious if you ask me," Gwen said. "That's why I prefer Gwen."

"I think Arthur might be just as pretentious."

"Not really, always reminds me of Dudley Moore," Gwen said. Arthur sniggered.

"Could be worse I suppose."

"Yeah, I mean, when you do ever hear of someone called Guinevere."

"Or Merlin, or Lancelot. We're like a society of funny names," Arthur said, watching as Gwen blushed as Lancelot's name.

"Speaking of Lancelot, has he asked you out yet?" Arthur asked.

"No, I think he nearly tried to once, but he chickened out."

"He's hopeless," Arthur said rolling his eyes.

"I think it's sweet," Gwen said. "He starts to stammer and blush."

"Aaawww," Arthur said, grinning at her. Gwen retorted by smacking his upper arm several times.

"Stop that!" Gwen snapped at him.

"Sorry, I surrender," Arthur said, stepping away from her, still laughing. Gwen gave him a mock glared and they carried on walking towards the house and up the steps into the main hall. Their conversation ceased as they entered the large, serene hallway.

They paused for a moment, looking at each other. Gwen smiled.

"I need to go and start work."

"Okay," Arthur said. "I suppose I ought to…"

"What are you doing with her?" Uther seemed to erupt from his study, glaring at them both. Gwen cowered, Arthur riled.

"It's called a conversation, I'm capable of them!"

"You are not to be fraternising with her."

Arthur clenched his teeth, and his fists tightened.

"Her, has a name. And I don't see why not!"

Gwen looked terrified, backing up towards the door. Arthur moved so he was between her and Uther.

"She's just the housekeeper!"

Arthur blinked. "So! At least she's a nice person, and how the hell can you stop me talking to anyone. She bloody works here."

"Not anymore," Uther snapped, he pushed Arthur back and glared at a quivering Gwen. "Get out, any pay you are owed will be sent to you."

Gwen quite naturally turned and fled, she didn't look round when Arthur, and then Merlin, shouted her name. The fight was drawing people from all areas, staring at the two men in shock.

"You're a fucking arrogant bastard! Do I have to ask your permission to talk to people now! I don't think that is going to happen, I am so out of here!"

Uther grabbed Arthur's arm and flung him backwards, as he tried to go for the door. Arthur staggered and then straightened up.

"You can't stop me!"

"Yes, I can," Uther snarled. "Thanks to Merlin, you can't walk out of the grounds. You are staying here and you will do as you are told!"

"You think so," Arthur asked, lashing out. Uther knocked him back, delivering a punishing blow to the side of Arthur's face.

"You are my son, you will do as you are told," Uther's voice was steady and cold as ice.

Arthur sat on the steps cupping his face in his hand. He turned to look out of the open door. Gwen was running down the drive. Arthur turned his head, looking up at his father, staggering a little but his eyes never moved.

"Fuck you," Arthur snarled before running to his room.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Uther thought he knew. The child had been pushed around violently, so badly. He didn't think that anything could occur to the child. Not while he had hold of him. Locked away in his room Arthur was safe, even if he was angry.

"I'm just going to go and check on Arthur," Merlin said.

"You were told not to Merlin."

"Fuck that," Merlin said to Gwaine who turned to stare at him. Merlin never swore. That was most definitely something he had picked up from Arthur. Merlin thundered up the stairs as if he dared someone to come out and stop him. Uther never appeared from his study to intervene, and it went quiet as Merlin disappeared into the bedroom wing.

"Perhaps you should stop him, Gwaine, maybe Arthur doesn't want to be bothered," Morgana said, and then she blinked as Gwaine's eyes widened, he jumped from his seat, almost falling over the small coffee table directly in front of him. He managed to right himself, and by that time Morgana had got to her feet and was planning to follow him. The only reason for a reaction like that was a frantic call from Merlin. Gwaine glanced at her as he ran for the stairs.

"Get Gaius now!"

Gwaine didn't wait to see if she would do as she was told. He guessed she would, she would know the reason for his sudden dash upstairs. Gwaine could feel Merlin pushing against his mind, not just trying to get his attention but because he was in a full blown panic. The only thing with the capacity to do that, at the moment, was Arthur. Gwaine brushed aside the irritation he was feeling.

Instead he ran down the corridor and crashed through the door into Arthur's room. Merlin was crouched by the side of the bed. Arthur had been tucked under the sheets but the small pool of liquid by the side of the bed had alerted Merlin. Gwaine assessed the pool and the reddening sheets, Merlin's hands were clamped to Arthur's wrists to put pressure on the wounds. He looked up at Gwaine, his eyes wide, gold sparks flashing within them.

"I've told Morgana to get Gaius," he informed Merlin before going to the bed to help, to apply pressure further up Arthur's right arm to slow the blood flow. Merlin looked up.

"I can feel him, he's still there."

"Keep him there, Gaius won't be long. What the hell has he done?"

"Proved Uther wrong," Merlin said, his voice oddly steady. Gwaine frowned at him.

"What?" he snapped.

"He can get himself out of here."


	16. Chapter 16

Uther sat next to the bed in the small ward they had in the upper level of the west wing. There were always casualties to treat, sometimes serious, but mostly not. That was what the room with four hospital beds was for. Arthur lay in one, sleeping, although he had turned over shifting in his sleep momentarily, so his back was to Uther. Even subconsciously Arthur appeared to be rejecting him.

He didn't turn as the door slowly opened behind him. The light clicking of heels told him Morgana had entered the room. No one else had come up, probably no one else dared. Only Gaius, since he was checking on Arthur regularly. Merlin was upset but Gwaine was keeping him out of the way, Gwaine was probably keeping himself out of the way. When Gaius was operating on Arthur's wounds, with Morgana assisting, Gwaine had made his feelings quite clear, bawling Uther out. As much as he had smarted at the dressing down Gwaine had given him, Uther had to concede that some of his points were well made.

Part of Gwaine's anger was down to Merlin's reaction. At least it proved there was some connection between Arthur and Merlin, as was meant to be. It might have motivated Gwaine's anger, but also a shred of jealousy might have been worming it's way into Gwaine's righteous reaction.

Uther understood Gwaine's feelings. His own felt very similar, as he had watched Arthur with the others on the training ground. When he had slowly seemed to relax, and then Uther had come along. He had just wanted to show Arthur that the situation was serious, and maybe, a deeper part of his mind announced, get somewhere with his son. It was hard to look at Arthur, knowing that he was his own flesh and blood, and know what he had been. The evidence was there for Uther, in black and white, and full colour in the case of some of the photographs. Uther closed his eyes and tried to wipe the images from his mind, as he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He reached out and petted Morgana's hand, glancing up at her.

"He's not going to rouse for a while you know. Maybe you should get some rest," Morgana suggested.

"I can rest here."

"Then perhaps you should use one of the beds."

"No, I'm fine, I just want to wait for him, I need to be here."

Morgana patted his shoulder. It was the closest they were probably ever going to get to Uther admitting he was wrong, and only she would ever hear it.

"I will call Gwen and apologised on your behalf," Morgana said. "Hopefully I can persuade her to come back."

Uther just nodded, not entirely interested in the young woman who was their housekeeper. "Did you find anything?"

Morgana shook her head. "There was no trace of magic, nothing at all. This is not any sort of attack, Uther, this was Arthur's own doing."

"But Merlin sensed something, he could have sensed magic."

"He sensed Arthur. Arthur was in danger, even if it was from himself. I checked back on the medical records. There is no mention of something like this, but at times the records are sketchy at best."

"You think he might have done something like this before?" Uther asked, looking up at her in alarm. It wasn't Morgana's voice that answered him though.

"Yes, I have."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Instead of simply washing Merlin's hands in the sink, Gwaine opted to undress him and get Merlin into the bath. It was usually an act that was interspersed with flirting, joking and with Gwaine eventually getting Merlin into bed. This time the process was done silently, Merlin submitting mutely, his eyes dull and confused. Gwaine bundled the clothes away to put them in the wash and then concentrated on Merlin.

Again Merlin submitted to Gwaine's attention, letting him move his limbs around into position to be able to wash him. Merlin kept his head down for the most part, now and again lifting his eyes to look at Gwaine. Every time he did Gwaine gave him a gentle smile and murmured a reassuring term of endearment. Merlin put his eyes down again, looking at his hands as Gwaine cleaned off Arthur's blood.

"There's so much of it," Merlin eventually said. It wasn't on his skin anymore. Instead it had turned the bath water a dull, sickly colour, scum sticking to the sides of the bath from the volume of soap that Gwaine had used, scrubbing Merlin off, and rinsing his own hands.

"A little goes a long way, you know that, Merlin."

Merlin nodded. He did. Gaius had been training him, as a medic, and in more scientific areas. Normally he would have got Merlin to help with the operation but Merlin was in no state to assist. Gwaine suppressed the ripple of anger he felt, and instead gently reached up to wipe away the tear that ran from Merlin's left eye. He felt greatly reassured when Merlin inclined into the touch. Gwaine's memory flickered back years, to another time, the first time he and Merlin had met, and he had left the school grounds to find a group of the older lads had cornered the new boy, who was living up at Uther Pendragon's place.

They had already given him a bit of a beating and had now pinned him down, pulling open some of his clothes to dump a colony of ants they had found nearby on him. Merlin had been squirming and whimpering, but not daring to open his mouth and yell out in case he ended up with ants in there.

Gwaine wasn't even certain what motivated himself to suddenly intervene. As much as he could handle himself the workings of the people around him just never touched him. But something about the scene, and Merlin, suddenly galvanised him into action. He saw the bullies off in less than a minute, and was left with Merlin, desperately trying to dress himself and brush all the ants off.

That had made their initial meeting rather interesting as Gwaine got a shell-shocked, twitching Merlin back to his house, which was only a few streets away, and nearer than Uther's mansion, got his uniform off and into the washing machine and dumped Merlin in the bath. Drowning any remaining ants seemed like the best option. Merlin had just sat in the bath looking miserable and self-conscious, until Gwaine had finally coaxed out his name, a little bit of background and a smile.

Two and a half hours later he deposited a washed, dressed and ant free Merlin back at Uther's and left him there. Next morning Gwaine had waited near enough to the house so when Merlin slunk out to school, having not told Uther, or Gaius, of the incident, he had stared at Gwaine stunned before falling into step with him.

Four days later Gwaine had got himself suspended for hammering the lead bully, again; when he had caught him stealing Merlin's money. That however, hadn't stopped Gwaine still being there to get Merlin to school in the morning, and home again at the end of the day. It left Merlin vulnerable during the day, but Gwaine's lingering presence put even the bravest of them off, and Merlin was essentially left alone. Even when he had been questioned Gwaine couldn't honestly answer why he had reacted so violently. There was just something in Merlin that drew him. If Gwaine couldn't work it out, then no one else was likely to. Instead he had just gone with the feeling.

The only person that didn't seem to disapprove of his actions was Uther Pendragon. Who, when he found Gwaine waiting outside the house once, simply let him in and told him where Merlin was.

Gwaine didn't even end up feeling very surprised when he learnt of Merlin's talent, and very slowly Gwaine shifted himself into the role of Merlin's bodyguard. He certainly needed it. On a day to day basis he couldn't always use magic to defend himself, Merlin needed something else. Gwaine became it.

Now he didn't feel like he was doing a very good job. Arthur's actions had caused it, but he certainly couldn't be blamed. Uther had just pushed too far. Poor Merlin was paying part of the price, for no other reason than he would blame himself.

"I'm supposed to be looking after him," Merlin said, as Gwaine pulled the plug out and got up to get a towel.

"You are Merlin," Gwaine said as he put the towel over his shoulder and got Merlin up and out of the bath. "There could only be one reason you went up at that time, swearing at me when you went, I might add. You felt something happening and you were there in time."

Gwaine started to dry Merlin off, gently rubbing Merlin's skin, feeling his body respond to touching Merlin. Even when he had done the same to a twelve year old Merlin, himself being seventeen, that feeling had surged through him. From that first meeting he had wanted Merlin. The wait had been worth it. He wrapped Merlin up in the towel and waited.

"I thought I was getting somewhere," Merlin said. "And he seemed all right today."

"He was, until Uther showed his ugly face," Gwaine said. "He's the one that pushed this. Arthur's survived behind a veneer of toughness, without having anything to really back it up. Having that pointed out to him won't help him, he couldn't even protect Gwen. Uther just can't do this."

"Neither can I," Merlin said, and felt himself being shaken, only gently but enough for Gwaine to make a point. Merlin stared at him in shock.

"Yes, you can," Gwaine said, cupping Merlin's chin and gently kissing him on the lips, before pulling him back again to look at Merlin.

"You are doing, Merlin. Arthur's going to be fine, if we need to ban Uther from his presence then we will do."

"I doubt we'll manage that."

"Like you said, in many ways Arthur is your responsibility, I think you can. I know you can," Gwaine said before drawing Merlin back for another gentle kiss and then hugging Merlin's still slightly damp body to him. The towel dropped to the floor, and Merlin, as he brushed his cheek against Gwaine's huffed with laughter.

"Is that your answer to everything?"

"It seems to work," Gwaine said stroking his fingertips up and down the bare skin of Merlin's back. "But my main aim is to distract you by snuggling up in bed with you. For one thing, I know you're tired, and Arthur's probably going to sleep for a while, you're better off not fretting. You can't do anything for him until he wakes."

"Maybe I should just be there," Merlin said.

"Uther's doing that, leave him there for a while. Gaius and Morgana can make sure he doesn't upset Arthur."

Merlin gave a long heavy sigh, which Gwaine knew was him conceding the point. Gwaine led Merlin from the bathroom to the bedroom and got them both tucked up in the sheets, letting Merlin cling to him.

"I could feel him," Merlin eventually said, breaking the peaceful silence. "He just wanted to go, and I didn't let him."

"You couldn't have," Gwaine said. "As bad as he feels, it is not really an answer. You know that. It's not just that we can't afford to lose him, not now we've found him. No one deserves to feel that bad that they feel it's their only option."

"I know," Merlin said, clinging to Gwaine, wanting to feel comforted by his presence. Gwaine let him, stroking Merlin and murmuring endearments, feeling Merlin relax and then respond.

On the far side of the house, Arthur stirred in his sleep.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"I used pills though," Arthur added. He wasn't sure if that was for shock value or just to fill in the blanks.

Both Uther and Morgana jumped as Arthur, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, decided to answer. He heard the chair legs scrape on the floor and sensed movement. Morgana squeezed Uther's arm and then her heels clicked across the floor.

"I'll get Gaius," she announced, the intention of that clear. She would leave them alone, but it wouldn't be for long. Arthur would have back up if he needed it. He didn't say anything to object to her intention, and neither did Uther. She opened the door and walked away. Uther would have no intention of hurting Arthur, but they were certainly not able to reconcile the animosity they had between them so simply.

Arthur sensed Uther hovering, he stared at the blank light blue wall he was facing. It wasn't a wall he recognised, at least turning round would give him some indication of where he was. But then he'd have to face Uther. He wasn't entirely sure finding out what room he was in was worth it.

He didn't get much choice in the matter in the end. There was a few seconds pause before he felt Uther's hand on his arm.

"Arthur?"

Uther's voice was low, a trace of demand in it, but it didn't sound quite as arrogant as usual. Arthur let himself be turned over, his gaze moving across the room, which looked like a hospital ward. He had seen a few of them throughout his life. This one looked nicer than most but it was still exactly what it looked like. Arthur glanced up at Uther, who was staring down at him with an unreadable expression.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Uther asked, his tone was soft, there was no accusation within it. Arthur blinked, sitting up so he could move back away from Uther, he couldn't get very far, Uther's hand stayed on his arm. Arthur gave a shrug, he couldn't really explain himself, except it just felt like the only thing he could do. He had just felt so angry, at himself, at Uther, at the stupid scenario around him that seemed to make no sense, even though it was slowly starting to dawn on him that it was real. Plus he was having a little issue coping with how allegedly important he was.

Uther looked despairing at his rather ineffectual answer. The hand moved from Arthur's arm to the back of his neck. Arthur tensed a little, unsure what Uther would do next, and Arthur was too shocked to resist as Uther gathered him up and hugged him hard. Arthur didn't respond, but he carefully held himself in check, he felt too tired to fight Uther off, and he waited for the inevitable.

He waited for the hand on his back, or the one in his hair to move. Arthur waited for the shift, when one hand would drift a little too low, or move too intimately. It was something he was entirely used to, it was what people did. That sort of thing always happened, and Arthur knew there was no avoiding it.

And he carried on waiting. Uther tightened his grip, hands moving to gain a greater purchase and Arthur's eyes narrowed as Uther's face pressed against the top of his head. Then there was nothing more, Arthur's body remained relaxed but his mind was seething with tension, it was automatic, his inner reflexes coiled ready for the moment he would need them.

Yet, it never came. Uther made no further move, he just clung onto Arthur tightly. He could feel Uther's breath against his scalp and the arms tight around him. Arthur closed his eyes, trying to get his mind to relax, following his body. He felt weak, which he guessed was something to do with the blood loss, but probably more to do with his state of mind.

"You foolish boy," Uther murmured gently.

Arthur frowned, that was not quite what he was expecting and he didn't really get much time to think about it as the door latch clicked and Gaius shuffled into the room. Uther carefully let Arthur go, settling him back down on the bedding, and even that didn't happen with anything inappropriate. Arthur reminded himself that Uther was his father, but from what he had learnt from a few other people that didn't necessarily mean anything.

"Right, let's get you checked over, and if you feel up to it Merlin would probably like to see you."

Arthur nodded, looking down realising he was wearing a hospital gown, and he bit his lip as he looked at the bandages around both his wrists.

"How did you…?"

"Merlin got a sense of it, he got to you in time," Gaius said as he checked Arthur's heart rate. "We got you stitched up and gave you a blood transfusion, you and your father have the same blood group."

Arthur risked a glance up at Uther who reached up to brush some of Arthur's hair off his forehead.

"At least we have one thing in common," Uther mused cynically. Gaius huffed in disapproval. Uther stopped fiddling with Arthur's hair, realising his son was finding it slightly disturbing.

"I'll fetch Merlin," Uther said before sweeping from the room, leaving Arthur even more baffled.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Two days later Gaius let Arthur get up, he felt a little tired and weakened but well enough, although he didn't really feel like anyone's company, and despite the fact that the weather had warmed up a little Arthur wore long sleeves, to cover up the bandages.

"Arthur?" Merlin said, seeking him out and eventually finding him in the library, surrounded by boxes of folders and papers. Arthur was flicking through them, reading some bits and discarding others.

"What?" Arthur asked, only glancing up momentarily before going back to the information in front of him. Merlin slid into a nearby seat and watched him.

"What are you doing?" Merlin asked.

"Just… looking at stuff," Arthur said frowning as he read something and then flipped on before putting it in one of the piles he was generating.

"Can I help?" Merlin offered.

"No, not really," Arthur said.

Merlin shuffled a few papers in one pile about, messing them up, and then straightening them again, looking at what he was doing before glancing up at Arthur.

"Why not?" Merlin asked.

"Because," Arthur drawled, pausing as he turned a folder to read the spine before putting it back in the box. "I don't know what I'm looking for."

"Oh," Merlin said in surprise. Arthur paused and looked up at him.

"Well, I know what I'm looking for, but I kind of don't know, I'll know when I find it."

"Oh."

There was a pause, Merlin watched for a little longer. "Do you want some lunch, or something?"

"Gaius said he'd bring me something in a bit," Arthur said.

"You could stop and have it outside, on the terrace, with us," Merlin said.

Arthur was reaching into a box but he paused and looked at Merlin. What he was doing was obvious; especially as Arthur reaching into the box had made his sleeve ride up exposing the gauze on his arm. Merlin's eyes drifted to it and Arthur yanked his arm back putting it under the table top, pulling the sleeve down to hide it again.

"No, Merlin, I'm fine. I don't feel very sociable at the moment. I'll be fine," he said, seeing the concern on Merlin's face. "I just can't handle anyone at the moment."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Merlin asked.

Arthur shook his head. "No, definitely not. Look I'm not going to do it again, but I really just don't want to rake over…. Thanks anyway, for getting up there."

Merlin shrugged. "I'm supposed to be looking after you." Merlin rubbed the edge of the tabletop with his fingertip, eyes fixed on what he was doing.

"I'm not sure that's entirely true," Arthur said, voice slightly distracted as he went back to rummaging. Then he paused again looking at Merlin's distressed face.

"Merlin, I'm fine okay, I'm not going to put in a repeat performance, and my idiocy is not your fault."

"You're not an idiot Arthur," Merlin said. "I guess we really haven't handled this right. Any of us."

Arthur paused his intensive rummaging and looked at Merlin.

"It probably doesn't help you are dealing with someone who is more than a little screwed up, and I'm used to dealing with these things on my own. I've got to do it like that."

"You don't have to," Merlin said.

"For now I do. I'll get over these things, I always do."

"If you did, you wouldn't do them again would you?" Merlin said, then as Arthur looked at him sharply Merlin bit down on his lip, his eyes widening a fraction. Arthur stilled the surge of temper that rose in him. He could hardly blame Merlin for pointing out a fact.

"Sorry," Merlin said.

"You're probably right," Arthur told him. "But I'm all right, I just want to get on with something and... well, forget about it."

Unsurprisingly Merlin didn't look too convinced but he nodded, slowly standing up, accepting the fact he was going to have to give in for the time being.

"You know where we are though, if you change your mind," Merlin said.

Arthur looked up, managing something of a genuine smile. "I know."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

In the middle of the afternoon, after spending several hours reading through what he had found, Arthur steeled himself to invade Uther's study. The man in question looked up from what he was reading to stare at Arthur in surprise. He hadn't been expecting his son to seek him out, by the look on his face Arthur hadn't expected to actually do it. He looked around the small but neatly laid out study and Arthur's eyes lingered on a corner of the desk where the reading lamp was situated, and propped against the stand was the school picture that had been taken when he was first in school.

"Arthur?" Uther made it a greeting and a subtle question. Arthur hesitated a moment before sidling forward and sitting on the chair that was on the other side of the desk to Uther. Uther watched him, pushing away the papers to concentrate on Arthur. Arthur gnawed on his lower lip for a moment, eyes again straying to the photograph that Uther clearly wanted to keep, before focusing back on his father.

And Arthur blurted out what he wanted to ask before his courage could fail him completely.

"What happened to Gwen's mother?"


	17. Chapter 17

Gwen sat at a corner table in the village pub. She sat so she was facing the door and could watch the comings and goings. Over the other side of the bar, working a different shift so he could be there to keep an eye on her, was Elyan. He shouldn't have been working that day, he only did part time at the bar. Both he and her father had been against her coming to this meeting. Gwen was convinced it was the sheer element of surprise that had made her agree, after she had vowed herself that she was having nothing to do with any of them at the Pendragon house. Not after the way Uther had spoken to her.

She sat up straighter and stopped fiddling with her glass of wine, drawing designs in the condensation on her glass, as she caught sight of a flash of blond hair. Arthur came through the door and looked around. Raising her hand a fraction she waved timidly, feeling a surge of pleasure as two of the girls at the bar turned to look at Arthur in interest and then their faces flickered with irritation and jealousy as he ignored them completely and smiled when he saw Gwen, walking over to her. As he noticed the blond man heading towards his sister Elyan's eyes narrowed, and he stopped listening to the cluster of men who were chatting at the bar and watched Arthur instead. Once they realised Elyan's distraction they all took a long look at the newcomer.

It occurred to Gwen that no one else in the village had, until now, laid eyes on Arthur. They had no idea who he was. She hadn't even mentioned that Uther's son had returned home. Most of them probably didn't even know that Uther had a son, although some of the older villagers probably remembered Igraine, but Gwen wasn't sure if they knew she had been pregnant.

"Hi," Arthur said, pausing by the table. Gwen smiled up at him, feeling as nervous as Arthur looked.

"Hi," Gwen said. Arthur gestured to her glass.

"Do you want another?"

She had hardly drunk from it, so she shook her head. Arthur looked around, seeming a little lost.

"Do you want a drink?" Gwen asked. Arthur looked startled and then shook his head.

"No, I'll get one, I suppose I should have gotten yours."

"It doesn't matter, I was early."

"Okay, erm… I'll just be a minute." Arthur dumped the bag on the cushioned seat of the booth and headed over to the bar, dipping into his pocket as he did so. The girls looked at him again, flipping their hair about. Again Arthur paid no attention, and the girls glanced at Gwen, clearly trying to work out who Arthur was, what he was to Gwen, and both of them came to the conclusion that Gwen wasn't worth it. She felt a surge of temper and wondered if she should flirt with Arthur a little when he came back. Then she decided not to, Arthur might tell Lancelot. Although it didn't seem like she would be getting her date any time soon, now she had been fired.

Elyan served Arthur, pouring him a pint and eyeing him carefully. Again Arthur paid no attention, instead he concentrated on fishing a note out of the wallet that Uther had given him. Arthur could hardly comprehend the number of notes that had been put in it, and there was a credit card just in case. And if Arthur had been surprised at that, he was positively shell-shocked when Uther had let him come down to the village. Arthur wouldn't be surprised if someone was there in the village, subtly keeping an eye on him. He hadn't seen anyone on the walk down, but that didn't mean anything.

Gwen glared at Elyan as he put the pint down on the bar and took Arthur's note, a little abruptly. When he came back with the change he appeared a little more congenial but as he turned around to come back to Gwen Arthur quite obviously wasn't fooled.

"What's his problem?" Arthur asked, probably not really asking Gwen.

"He's my brother," Gwen said.

"Oh," Arthur said, shifting his bag along the seat a fraction and settling down opposite her. He took a sip of his pint and looked at her.

"Did you tell him about… what happened?"

"I kind of had to say that I was fired, he swapped his shift so he could keep an eye on me. Although no one has any idea who you are."

"Really? I suppose not," Arthur concluded. "I'm not entirely certain when my mother left, I wonder if I was even born."

They both fell silent for a moment and they both regarded their drinks. Gwen took a sip of hers and then put it down carefully on her beer mat. Arthur shifted his drink around.

"So what did you want to see me about?" Gwen asked. "I'm not going back to work there if that's why you've been sent."

"I haven't been sent," Arthur said. "And it was a bit about that but…"

He stopped fiddling with his pint and instead rummaged into the rucksack he had brought. Gwen watched him pull out another smaller bag, this one of a silky looking cloth. Arthur pulled on the drawstring and the material fell open. Gwen watched as a glitter of metal was revealed and she gasped as Arthur pulled the bag open, laying out the cloth to display the bracelet that lay underneath. She looked at the thick band, delicate designing and the jewel that lay in the centre.

"That's my mother's!"

"It's what Uther came for that night, when he came to your home."

"Why?" Gwen asked, she lifted her hand to reach out for the bracelet but Arthur's voice stilled her.

"You're probably best not to touch it too much."

"Why not?"

"It's not any old piece of jewellery," Arthur said. "It an Eye of the Phoenix, the shadow you saw was real. If this is worn too long it drains the life force of the person wearing it."

Gwen's eyes opened and her jaw dropped. Arthur looked uncomfortable, looking down at the bracelet and then back up at Gwen.

"But, that's stupid!"

"Sounds it, I know," Arthur said. "But you hinted to me that you thought something was up at that house, it's not quite that like. But you weren't wrong, the shadow you saw was real, it was the reflection of your mother's life being drained from her. She wouldn't have even realised it was happening, but that is what this thing does."

"And you believe that?" Gwen snapped.

"Yes, I do, and so do you."

Gwen tensed, biting down on her lip and looked down at the bracelet on the table between them. Arthur reached to wrap the item back up again, causing the sleeve of his jumper to rise up a fraction and expose the bandage on his right wrist. Arthur jumped as Gwen grabbed his hand and pushed the sleeve up further. By reflex Arthur yanked his hand back and used his left to grab the bracelet Gwen yanked the sleeve up on that arm as well.

"Arthur!"

Arthur swiped the bracelet and bag off the table wrapping the bracelet up and yanking the drawstring closed, tying it violently. With his hands under the table he could also get his sleeves under control. Gwen glanced away, just in time to see Elyan about to raise the flap on the bar to come round. She glared at him again and he paused. She carried on glaring for a little longer until Elyan backed up, then she turned her attention back to Arthur, who looked flustered and upset.

"What happened?"

"Nothing, it's fine. I'm fine."

"Is that what you came to tell me, my mother died because she was wearing a bracelet?"

"Yes," Arthur said. "Where did your mother get it?"

"Just some flea market place in one of the nearby towns. I saw it and thought it was pretty."

"You saw it?" Arthur asked.

"I wanted it, it was mixed up with some junk jewellery, and they weren't asking much for it. My mother bought it, but I was too small to wear it so I gave it to her," Gwen said.

"Do you remember where this was?" Arthur asked. Gwen glared at him. "Gwen, this is important, especially if you picked it out. If it was for you, why was your mother wearing it?"

"I gave it to her, she said she'd keep it for me until I was old enough to wear it. The stall holder said I should just keep it for myself, I remember that."

Arthur bit down on his lip. "It was meant for you."

Gwen blinked. "What?"

"It was meant for you, you might not have even needed to wear it."

"What are you saying, that it should have killed me?" Gwen leant forward, glaring at Arthur.

"I don't know, it's feasible all things considered."

"Next thing you're going to tell me is those sightings of giant scorpions are real," she snapped at him. Arthur raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

"I can prove that one," Arthur said. Gwen sat back, staring at Arthur in disbelief. "Oh, come on, that is part of the reason you took the job at the house, you knew something was going on. There's no point now saying you don't believe it."

Gwen frowned, pondering the logic of that. No one else had believed her, certainly not her father or Elyan. Arthur looked as if he did. She wondered about the others at the house, and the mysterious wing she couldn't enter. They were certainly hiding something.

"Suppose I believe you, and that bracelet did something, and I saw that shadow. Why would anyone do that?"

Arthur turned to his backpack and rummaged again, pulling out a cardboard folder. He flipped it open and pulled out several sheets of paper. Some were printouts, others looked handwritten, and some – the paper old and faded – were carefully protected in plastic wallets. He sifted through them and produced one handwritten sheet and passed it to Gwen.

"What's this?"

"Read it," Arthur said, continuing sifting. Gwen looked down at the paper, skimming through it. Arthur pushed a few more in her direction.

"There are a few different references, I don't think anyone else noticed them. Mainly there," Arthur said, pointing to a paragraph that he had highlighted.

"What's that name there…" Gwen asked, peering at the paper.

"It's Gwenhwy there, and there are a few other different versions, but narrowing it down I think they are all various versions of the name Guinevere. Or Guinevere is a variation on the original name. She appears quite a lot, but most of the information was obscure, I'm amazed Gaius didn't find it though."

"Hang on, there's a King Arthur in this one, and a Lancelot."

"It made me think, when I said we could set up a society of funny names, and what you said about your mother."

Gwen looked through a few more sheets of paper, glancing up at Arthur in shock.

"It's says in this one that she married this King Arthur."

"Yeah, also apparently has an affair and runs off with Lancelot, and there's a few others mentioned. Apparently this Guinevere is quite promiscuous."

Gwen glowered at him. "So what, you're saying that you are this King Arthur, and I'm supposed to marry you?"

"Not exactly. The way it was explained to me is it's a sort of heritage, we're not the exact people, because that would be stupid."

"What? So I'm descended from this woman? Oh God, in this one I sleep with Mordred!"

"Who?"

"You might not have seen him, he's a bit creepy, one of Lancelot's security detail, some cousin of Morgana's."

"No I haven't. No one mentioned him when I showed this to Gaius, maybe he missed it." Arthur reached into his bag and pulled out a highlighter pen. Gwen pointed to the relevant passage and marked Mordred's name.

"You're not keen on that idea then?"

"No," Gwen said with a smirk, reaching for her wine and taking a sip. They both paused for a moment, taking a drink and sizing each other up. When he put his pint down Arthur said.

"I don't think this time I'm particularly good marriage material, so I'm quite happy to encourage the running off with Lancelot thing. One version I found sort of hinted that Arthur engineered it."

"You are aware this sounds nuts?" Gwen said.

"Yet, you're listening to it," Arthur said. Gwen paused and looked around and then back up to Arthur.

"Was that true what you said, about being a rent boy?"

Arthur nodded. "Yeah, it wasn't exactly much of a choice."

"Is that what the bandages are about?" Gwen said. She couldn't see them now, Arthur's sleeves were carefully covering them, and he was making sure they stayed hidden.

"A little, maybe. After what happened it just felt like a point of no return."

Gwen gasped, "that's awful. Uther's a bastard!" she added venomously. Then she looked at Arthur with wide eyes. Arthur smirked.

"I'm not going to go out of my way to disagree with you. It's safe to say it's going to take a long while for any father and son bond to develop. If ever. I think we have to accept too much has happened, or at least try to."

Gwen leant forward. "Why didn't your mother hand you back to you father?"

"You make me sound like lost luggage," Arthur mused, and then shrugged, taking a swallow of his drink before answering. "I have no idea, she never told me anything, she never told anyone anything. She risked leaving me to fend for myself rather than tell my father, who was probably looking for me, where I was."

"Wasn't there anyone else?"

"No," Arthur said. "There was never anyone else, it was always just the two of us. We moved around a bit, which I now know was because my mother didn't want us found."

"But Uther must have loads of resources, no one can stay hidden for that long," Gwen said.

Arthur sat back, his eyes drifting down to look at his drink, for a moment his concentration drifted away from her, but it snapped back quickly. When he looked up at her there was a troubled look on his face.

"Unless someone made sure I wasn't to be found."

For a moment that disturbing thought was debated by both of them. Then Arthur looked back up at her and returned to the business in hand, gazing at her seriously.

"I want you to come up to the house tomorrow, I haven't told anyone else this, well, only Uther. Somehow you're part of this."

Gwen shook her head, "no, no way. Not after last time. I can accept he's a bit abrupt and hardly notices me most of the time, but I didn't do anything wrong, and it was just so… awful."

"I know, I'm sorry," Arthur said, then he didn't seem to know what else to say. He appeared to be in complete agreement of what she wanted to do, stay the hell away, and probably his information hadn't helped. Arthur was just relying on the fact that he was backing up her suspicions rather than actually telling her anything new.

"Why should I?" Gwen eventually challenged him.

"To be perfectly honest, I have no idea, other than the fact that you want answers, and I think we can give them," Arthur said. "Plus, I want you to come back, you're the only sane person I know."

Gwen's mouth quirked with a semblance of a smile. Arthur took that as a good sign, and pushed the papers back into the cardboard folder before easing it across the table towards her.

"Take that, and give it a look over. If you want to get involved, then come up to the house for about two o'clock tomorrow, we'll talk about it then."

Arthur drank the rest of his pint and looked at her. Gwen wasn't entirely sure what to say to that. Arthur wasn't going to push her, he had just told her something utterly incredulous, and yet, it seemed so believable, especially coming from Arthur. He shuffled out and slung the backpack up over his shoulder, making sure he kept the cuffs of his sleeves under control at the same time.

"Think about it, okay?"

With that Arthur sauntered out, leaving a trail of curious locals in his wake. Gwen gathered up her two thirds drunk wine and wandered over to the bar. Elyan was looking at her in disapproval.

"You didn't agree to go back did you?"

"No," Gwen said, not lying, she hadn't. She tucked the folder tighter to her side and held her glass out for Elyan to refill.

"So who was that anyway, I haven't seen him before."

"That's Arthur."

Not even the eavesdropping locals reacted to the name. No one knew who he was.

"Arthur who?" Elyan snapped. Gwen huffed in irritation.

"Arthur Pendragon," she snapped without thinking. "He's Uther's son."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

She wondered if the controversy she caused was the reason that she was walking up the driveway. It had sent everyone who heard her into a frenzy of gossip, and no doubt the entire village now knew. Although they knew nothing more than the fact of Arthur's existence. Most of the running gossip presumed he was illegitimate. Some of the older residents knew Uther had been married, and brought up the hints that Igraine Pendragon had not been able to conceive. There had been miscarriages and fertility treatments if the grapevine had been correct.

Gwen didn't know if that was true or not. The only person who could probably answer that was Uther himself. No one else would know the real truth of what had happened between the husband and wife, and why Igraine had felt the need to remove her son from the environment. Gwen had looked over the information, reading it with increasing disbelief. Yet, so much of it rang true deep within her. Arthur was right, she had taken the job because she wanted to find something, and now she had found it. There was no purpose in her now saying that she wanted to walk away. So instead she walked towards it.

She paused as she reached the open space by the front steps. Arthur was waiting for her, sipping from a can, wearing sunglasses and his hair almost glowed in the sunlight. He raised a hand as he saw her and she carried on walking, until she stood in front of him. Arthur hadn't moved, he just continued to sit on the steps.

"Hi," he said.

"Hello."

"Changed your mind?"

"I think it was already made up."

"No one is going to think less of you for coming back, actually it makes you the better person."

"I don't think Uther would agree with you."

Arthur shrugged. "I don't know if he does or not. I did tell him though."

Gwen smirked.

"I did," Arthur said. "I think we have come to the understanding that we are never going to like each other, I am never going to entirely trust him, and he's always going to hate what I am. I'll give him that, he's good at accepting things as they are."

"That sounds really sad," Gwen said. "He is your father, and it isn't as if he abandoned you."

"I suppose," Arthur said, draining his can of cola. Then he looked at Gwen and took a deep breath. "Are you ready?"

"I'm not sure what for."

"Come with me," Arthur said, slowly getting up. As they went into the hall Arthur darted sideways into the lounge area and deposited his can into the bin before moved down the hallway to the right of the staircase and he pressed the buttons to open the door to the west wing. Gwen shifted her feet feeling the first traces of nerves, but she couldn't help but follow, looking around in interest as Arthur stepped through and held the door open for her, before closing it firmly.

"We need to go up to the briefing room on the next floor."

"Briefing room, you make it sound like MI5 or something."

"Well, MI5 crossed with the X-files I suppose. She's with me," Arthur added to Percival as he came out of a door and stared at Gwen. Gwen smiled at him and then hurried after Arthur. He went up a flight of stairs, turned left and opened a set of doors, going into the lab where Gaius kept his 'zoo'.

"Oh my God," Gwen said as she looked at the huge scorpion. Arthur watched her reaction.

"That one stung me."

"This isn't possible."

"No, but it's real. It's through here."

He took her through that room, past the Bastet and then across the corridor through to the briefing room. The rest of them were coming down the corridor and they all ceased chatting as Arthur walked out and then so did Gwen. She looked at them and ducked her head a little. Arthur opened the door to the briefing room and let her in.

"Sorry," he said to Gwen as the door swung shut behind them. "They're early."

"Are they already coming? I told them quarter past," Uther said from the far end of the room.

"I was running a bit late," Gwen said apologetically. Uther looked at her as Arthur carefully put her in a seat, not too close, but not at the far end of the table.

"Guinevere, I…" Uther started talking and Gwen knew, he was about to apologise, but as the others came storming in he looked away from her. Arthur's hand on hers tensed, and looking up she realised he was angry. Uther had been about to apologise to her, but he was going to do that because Arthur wanted him to. So he would do it in front of Arthur and that would be the only time she would hear it.

Instead the others came through the door, probably wanting to know why she was there. They were all now staring at her, and Gwen looked away, glancing up on occasion but feeling very uncomfortable.

"Do you want coffee or tea or…" Arthur asked.

"No, I'm fine," Gwen said.

"I wouldn't recommend it anyway. I made it," Merlin said going to the table and starting to set up cups.

"No need to bother with that, this part of the meeting will be very short," Uther announced. "And it's about this."

He unwrapped the bracelet from it's silken wrapping. Merlin turned his head violently, eyes fixed on the item, stepping towards the table. He stared at it and then his eyes snapped to Gwen and then back to the bracelet.

"Merlin?" Gaius asked.

"There's magic, I can feel it."

"Guinevere, would you please put your hand over the bracelet."

She did as Uther asked and the gem glowed, she felt a rush of heat and almost grabbed it but Uther grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand clear.

"You should not touch it. This was something I removed from the Loedgrance household when Guinevere's mother passed away. It is an Eye Of The Phoenix, it consumes the life force of anyone who stays in contact with it, but it can be bonded to someone, that person appears to be Guinevere."

Gwen blinked and looked around.

"How did your mother get hold of it?"

"It was too big for me to wear, so she told me a story about how it would be something that would become an heirloom, she would wear it, then I would and then I could pass it to one of my children. Then I saw the shadow, around her, just… I can't describe it. I just never knew it was that doing it."

"Where did you get it? How did your mother find it?" Uther asked, leaning forward on the table.

"I saw it at the flea market. It was on the edge of the table and it glowed so brilliantly that I wanted it, and the woman on the stall sold it to my mother. She just thought it was a bit of junk jewellery, she said it wasn't worth much but money wasn't important, it was the meaning."

"Did your mother say that, or the person on the stall?"

"I can't remember, I wish I could!" Gwen covered her face with her hands and started to cry. She mumbled something but Gwen wasn't even aware of what she said.

"Enough for now."

She heard Uther's voice at the back of her mind and then the sounds of people moving around the room.

"Gwen, it's okay," Arthur said. She nodded a little but she didn't want anyone to bother her now.

It was real, what she knew, what she had known was real. She felt better, and she felt worse. And she also felt, just a little bit, understood.


	18. Chapter 18

Arthur and Gwen retreated to the kitchen. Gwen had sighed heavily as she entered to find a chaos of plates, leftovers and mess. Going under the sink she had rooted out a pair of pink rubber gloves and got to work. Arthur had watched her from the counter, where he was allowed to observe, and not get involved.

"It's not that serious you know," he had said.

"They have the plain plates mixed in with the patterned. I have a system, Merlin knows it's not just for the good of my health."

"It's for the good of his?" Arthur asked. Gwen glared at him.

"I'll put coffee on," she announced getting a coffee pot out, and rummaging around for the packet. As she took it out she frowned as he realised it was almost empty. "I'd better make a list."

"Hello," Merlin said as he strolled in. "The suggestion was to set up in the dining room."

"I can make some sandwiches," Gwen said, rummaging further. Her rummaging paused as Lancelot walked in, reading some of the papers from Arthur's research.

"So you two are meant to be married?"

"Previously, I suppose so," Arthur said. "Although, all the information can't be accurate."

"That part of it seems pretty consistent," Lancelot said, looking confused and a mildly angry.

"It's not likely to be this time," Arthur said. "No offence Gwen, but I don't want to marry you."

"None taken since the feeling is mutual," Gwen said, rummaging around for something to put on the sandwiches. Arthur gave Lancelot a glare, Lancelot blinked, Arthur inclined his head at Gwen, frowning as he did so. Lancelot blinked again and looked at Gwen, then at Merlin, then back to Arthur, shaking his head. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Come on Merlin, we have that thing we need to do."

"Do we?" Merlin asked, he had been watching the silent conversation between Arthur and Lancelot, and sounded startled as Arthur addressed him. Arthur got up and took his arm, guiding him to the door.

"Lancelot can help Gwen with the sandwiches," Arthur said, meaningfully. Gwen turned to look at him and Arthur raised his eyebrows at her, shifting his eyes in Lancelot's direction.

"Yes, he can butter the bread, while I grate some cheese," Gwen said.

Arthur bundled Merlin out of the door and shoved him down the hallway towards the dining room.

"What thing are we meant to be doing?" Merlin asked as Arthur hustled him over the threshold. Gwaine looked up from the book he was reading, sprawled on the window seat. Gaius and Morgana, in conference at the table, also glanced up.

"The 'not getting in the way of Gwen and Lancelot' thing," Arthur said. "I think I can trust Gwen to deal with it."

Morgana smirked. "Perhaps the risk of Gwen running off and marrying you might spring Lancelot into action."

"Actually, she's supposed to marry Arthur and then run off with Lancelot," Gaius mused. "If this is correct."

"Except we are not recreating history, we're just descended from these people. And no offence, what purpose do I actually serve, Merlin seems to be the one that does everything."

"Arthur is meant to unite Britain, although I don't think that's relevant to today. But magic no longer has any power in this realm, but it is seeping through from the dimension it was pushed to."

Arthur pulled out a chair and sat at the table, resting his chin in his hands as he looked at Gaius.

"But Merlin can still do magic, I presume Morgana can, and there's all those escapee serkets and what was the other thing that was loose?"

"Griffins," Gwaine said. Merlin pushed his legs off the seat and sat down next to him.

"So, are we trying to stop the return of magic, or let it happen, or what? And again I don't sound very important to it. Nor I think was King Arthur ever a rent boy."

"No, but part of the history also says that he was taken away from his father and raised with another family, acting as squire for the eldest son. When he pulled Excalibur from the stone, that proved him to be Prince Arthur, and he was declared king."

"Are you suggesting that I was actually meant to be…" Arthur waved his hand, not really wanting to repeat himself.

"I doubt that," Gaius said.

"We need to find out what my mother did it? There has to be something," Arthur said. "Or someone. We're doing all this, isn't there someone else on another side, or anything like that. I presume we're the good guys."

"The world has to be in balance, there are those who would like to see it in chaos," Gaius said.

"We're getting into the realm of superheroes now," Arthur said.

Gaius gave him a long steady look that clearly informed Arthur to not be ridiculous. Arthur shrugged.

"So I again come back to my question, what am I meant to be doing? Or do we have no idea on that?"

"Nothing about this scenario is entirely clear, however this confrontation will happen we can't predict the scenario. This is as new to us as it is you, we've just had more time to adapt."

"I thought you all knew what was going on."

"We don't, not exactly," Morgana said. "All we have is the history to go on, there has never been a point when all the relevant people were together, or you and Merlin. You two are the most important, and until now, we've never had both of you. That has to be significant."

"But everyone plays a part thought?"

"Yes," Gaius said. "As times change some become more significant than others, and in different ways."

Arthur pondered that. "The bracelet is the place to start. Someone tried to use that thing to remove Gwen, that has to have significance."

"It would appear so," Gaius said.

"And how could no one else have realised? I found all the information in a day, and it was all here, a bit scattered about but, I managed to get it all together," Arthur reasoned.

"That is an interesting question," Uther announced strolling in. Arthur glanced up at him and they locked eyes for a moment before looking away from each other. Arthur tugged nervously on the cuffs of his hoodie. The ripple of tension was broken by Gwen and Lancelot coming in. Lancelot was carrying the sandwiches, and Gwen came in with a tray of cups and plates. Arthur smirked as he looked at them. Both of them were a little flushed, Gwen's eyes sparkling with happiness.

"I'll just get the coffee and cake," Gwen said.

"I'll help," Lancelot offered and they both disappeared again. Morgana put her head down and started to snigger. Gaius gave her a disapproving look.

"Ah, young love," Gwaine commented.

Morgana gave a less than ladylike snort. Uther glowered at everyone in disapproval.

"What is going on?"

"Nothing," Arthur said. Gwen and Lancelot came back carrying the rest of the stuff. Lancelot was looking mildly shell-shocked, Gwen looked smug. She started setting out cups and plates. Gwaine and Merlin stopped lounging on the window seat and joined them at the table, and they slowly sat down again.

"Have you noticed anything else, since then, especially recently?" Uther asked Gwen. Gwen shook her head.

"I was almost convinced that the shadow I saw was my imagination. I was only young at the time."

"But if Arthur's right, it was a direct attack, and a life-force was drained by the Eye. Whoever bonded the bracelet to you, might have just assumed that the job was done."

"Which could in it's own way be why we then didn't see the connection between the legend and Gwen now," Morgana said. She had opened her laptop and was now typing.

"I'll go through the database and compile everything else we have that refers to Guinevere, or Arthur's wife," she added.

"And Lancelot's mistress," Gwaine said grinning at the other man, whose cheeks started to flush. Merlin elbowed Gwaine in the ribs, Arthur lobbed a sliver of cucumber at him and Gwen glared.

"I'm nobody's mistress."

"Actually if you were queen, and Lancelot here was a knight, wouldn't that make him the mistress?" Gwaine asked, making Lancelot's cheeks an even deeper colour.

"Enough," Gwen warned him.

Glancing at the disapproving look on Uther's face Arthur decided to change the subject.

"So, this flea market is a place to start, isn't it?"

"We're a little late aren't we?" Merlin said. "They wouldn't still be there."

"It's local though, isn't it?" Arthur asked through a mouthful of sandwich. "I didn't see anything in the village though."

"No, it's in the nearest town, there's only the pub and the little grocery place here."

"Well, they attacked Gwen when they found out that she might have a connection. Especially one close to Arthur. There's bound to be some hints reverberating around that we now have Arthur."

"I might not have helped," Gwen said, looking at Arthur apologetically. "I told Elyan after you'd left who you were. Everyone in the village knows."

"And probably beyond by now," Morgana mused. "You know the way gossip works around here."

"Sorry," Gwen said.

"Don't be, I can't be hidden away forever. If people are now aware that I'm here, maybe we'll get a return visit. It's the only starting point as far as I can see," Arthur said. "And considering what they think they know, would it be that surprising to see me with Gwen there?"

"Neither Gwen nor you are ready for that kind of confrontation," Uther said.

"I'm not frightened," Gwen said. "I want to know who this person is."

"I never said that. You two are untrained to deal with any potential threat. That is a risk we cannot take."

"We can go as a group," Gwaine said. "What would be weird about us all going out, showing Arthur around town? That wouldn't be anything unusual. Merlin and I can be there. So can Lancelot, it could be your first date."

"Shut up!" Lancelot said, still red in the face.

Morgana was the only one who didn't react with a smirk. Instead she was concentrating on her laptop.

"Next time the flea market is open is Thursday, two days time. Some kind of pre-emptive strike might not be a bad idea. Like Arthur said, we can't hide him away."

Uther's face flitted with an expression that said that was exactly what he wanted to do. Arthur glowered, not sure if Uther was being protective or ashamed of him.

"And we'll be with him, between us all, he can't come to any harm," Gwaine said.

"We have to do something," Arthur said. "So let's do it."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Gwen almost ran into Uther as he came through the kitchen doorway. She was returning with some fresh coffee as they started to plan. There wasn't really that much she could add to that part of the discussion. It was so long ago there was no guarantee that the flea market would be the same. Some aspects of it had to be, and the whole operation appeared to be riding on that. She wasn't entirely sure if what she was doing was the right thing.

Her brother and father was worried about her, getting involved again with the people at the Pendragon House, as it was generally referred to by the locals. But the one person that really seemed to want to help her, and Gwen was worried about anyway, was Arthur. Refusing to get involved now seemed stupid, since finding out the truth was what she planned anyway.

She stared at Uther as he looked down at her.

"I feel I should apologise, for what happened."

Gwen stared up at him, feeling oddly emboldened. Not something that usually happened when she was confronted by Uther.

"Because you want to, or because Arthur wants you to."

There was a flicker of irritation in Uther's eyes, realising he had been caught out. He soon regained his equilibrium.

"I should have also realised that you were relevant to the situation. Quite significantly."

"I guess so, since someone tried to kill me."

"Not so much that, although it would affect the situation now," Uther said. Gwen frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Her frown deepened as Uther carefully made sure the door behind him was closed, and that no one could interrupt them without them knowing. When he answered her, he spoke in a low tone, clearly not wanting anyone to accidentally overhear their conversation.

"Arthur trusts you, more than anyone else here."

Gwen blinked, the surprise she felt must have shown because Uther carried on talking, looking strained at having to do so, but he made the effort.

"He's talked to you more than anyone, in such a short space of time. A queen is often her husband's confidant."

"I don't think Arthur and I have any intention of getting married."

Uther looked relieved, and then mildly disapproving. "I expect you and Lancelot to keep your association discreet."

"I'm sure we can manage that," Gwen snapped, and then reverted back to the original conversation topic.

"You're worried about Arthur."

"He isn't the most trusting of people, and he's not exactly proved himself to be emotionally stable."

Despite the remote tone of voice, Uther's eyes were giving him away. He did look worried. None of them had any idea how to deal with Arthur. The suicide attempt had probably rattled them more than anything.

"Has he tried it before?" Gwen asked, not mentioning it directly, but the hint was obvious.

"Twice apparently," Uther said.

"No sign of it being… something else," Gwen said. "I'm not sure how to describe the whole magic thing."

Uther shook his head. "There was no hint of anything this time, although I don't think it was just what happened that morning."

And the other things, no one could probably really get close enough to find out.

"He seems fine now," Uther said.

'Too fine', Gwen interpreted from that. Again it clearly showed on her face as Uther carried on talking.

"He was talking to you before. I don't know what else to do."

"Is that the only reason you are following up this lead about my mother?" Gwen asked.

This time it was Uther's face that gave everything he was thinking away. The answer was yes, it was the reason that Gwen had been allowed to get into the inner circle and get some answers. Gwen was the only person, so far, that Arthur was totally comfortable with. Therefore Uther wanted to keep her around, and now Arthur had found a way to let that happen. Gwen felt her anger rise, but however indignant she felt about it, there wasn't much she could do. She wanted answers, but she mirrored Uther's concern about Arthur, and she wasn't about to abandon him when he quite clearly needed help.

"You might as well know then," Gwen said. "I'm doing this for Arthur, I don't have to like you, or anything else about this."

"No you don't," Uther said.

There wasn't much more that either of them could say to each other.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Thursday morning was very unalarming when it came to finding evil or magic.

Arthur was thankful that Uther and Gaius travelled separately from the others, with Gaius heading to the local library and Uther saying something about catching up at the offices.

"He runs a few local firms," Merlin had said in explanation and Arthur didn't ask any more. Instead he had sat in the back of Gwaine's jeep while he travelled with him, Merlin and Leon. Arthur presumed that Leon was his main bodyguard today. Lancelot, Percival, Morgana and Gwen took the other car.

Arthur got a good look at the area that was now his home. A location that should have been somewhere he was used to. It looked pretty enough, but since he frequented some of the worst, crime ridden areas, he guessed he would probably find any sort of change nice.

"Let's take a walk about first, if we separate we need two of us in close proximity to Arthur and Gwen at all times," Lancelot said to Gwaine, Leon and Percival.

"So it's probably easier if we just stay together," Arthur said.

"That means you and Gwen can't sneak off," Gwaine said grinning at Lancelot. "Not much of a first date is it."

"Besides me and Merlin can act as guards as well, in case you had forgotten," Morgana snapped.

"Sorry," Lancelot said.

"We might actually be able to take care of ourselves," Gwen added, she glanced at Arthur, who said nothing.

"Come on, it's just a scouting mission, everything will be fine," Gwaine said taking Merlin's hand and leading him off. "But everyone remember to hold your partner's hand and don't wander off."

"Oh, for God's sake," Leon said.

"I'm just trying to give Lancelot an opportunity. Or maybe Gwen wants to hold her husband's hand."

"Shut up, Gwaine," Lancelot sniped. Gwen backed him up by sticking her tongue out at Gwaine and linking arms with Lancelot.

"We are never being allowed to forget this, now you have found that information," Lancelot warned Arthur and Gwen.

As they headed across town, through the small, pretty, but busy streets Lancelot decided to get his own back.

"Gwaine, I think you have been a little usurped as the most stared at of the group. Your popularity is flagging in the face of Arthur's blondness."

Merlin was glared at as he sniggered, and Arthur flushed a little.

"I am not being stared at."

Gwen noticed Arthur tug on the cuffs of his tee-shirt. Despite the sun he had still put on something long-sleeved. He couldn't wear anything else while out, unless he wanted to reveal the dressings that were still covering his arms. The shirt was, however, of a very thin material which revealed the shape of his arms and torso. Gwen had to admit, it wasn't an entirely bad look, especially with the sun glinting off his hair.

"And I'm not that blond!" Arthur added.

"Oh, you are," Morgana said cheerily agreeing with Lancelot.

"Yep, you're blond," Leon said at the same time.

"Very," Percival added.

"So he's blond," Gwaine pouted. "That's doesn't mean to say anyone is looking at him."

"Yes, they are," Morgana said gleefully.

"That could just be because he's a new addition," Gwaine said.

"Or it could be that he's better looking than you," Leon said very seriously. Gwaine looked distinctly unimpressed and started to scan the crowds intently. Arthur did the same, feeling self-conscious about the whole thing. It started to feel very obvious as they skirted around the outdoor market. More than a few of the girls were turning their heads to look at Arthur.

"Arthur, don't worry about it," Gwen murmured at him.

"It's not always something I've ever considered to be a good thing," Arthur replied in a low tone. Since Lancelot was close to Gwen on the far side, and Percival was strolling behind them they both heard Arthur's comment.

"Sorry," Lancelot said.

"It's fine mate, don't worry about it. Although, it's driving Gwaine mad!" Percival said sounding amused.

"What's he worried for, he's got Merlin," Arthur said.

"He's also got a monumental ego," Percival said. "Anyway, it's not such a bad thing, we're trying to make sure we get someone's attention, if they are waiting for something, I think the something could be done."

"This is it," Gwen said. The others had paused, waiting for them on the steps of a tall, old and imposing looking building. The windows were high, and leaded with a diamond pattern, giving the building a stately air. Higher up ugly looking gargoyles hung from the stone, staring down at the open space below. Arthur felt a shiver of unease as he looked at them.

"It's the old Town Hall," Gwen said. "They've moved all the offices to a new building, this one is used for functions and exhibitions now."

"And on alternate Mondays and Thursdays an antiques fair and flea market. There are some people just trying to get rid of the junk they find in the attic, and some people sell crafts," Morgana said.

"There's a jam stall that makes lovely green tomato chutney," Percival commented. "Thank God she also delivers."

"The amount you go through, yes," Merlin said.

"It's nice," Percival said innocently. "I might get some while I'm here."

"Percy, we are not here to go shopping," Leon warned him. Percival frowned.

"I thought we were supposed to look like that was what we are doing."

"Oh, just let him buy some," Morgana hissed. Then she paused. Percival and Leon had both paused at the bottom of the steps, while the others made their way slowly up. Then they all realised, why some of them were not moving.

"Arthur?" Gwen asked.

He wasn't paying them any attention. Instead he was looking up, staring at the building with a slight frown on his face. There was a feeling stirring at the back of his mind.

"It's like they're bloody watching," Arthur commented, trying not to sound totally freaked out by the stone statues.

"I guess," said Leon, who wasn't really seeing the same thing as Arthur.

Arthur shook himself out of his trance and took the steps two at a time to get over the threshold and out of the sight of the stone creatures. He couldn't really understand why he was feeling a shiver down his spine over it.

"They are a bit creepy," Merlin said.

"Aren't they supposed to come alive and fly around at night?" Gwaine asked. "There could be something in that. Shall we go to the café first, I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," Merlin commented. Gwaine grinned and wrapped an arm around Merlin's shoulders.

"And not always necessarily for food."

"Oh, for God's sake," Morgana said, rolling her eyes. "Although, I am in serious need of some caffeine, let's head that way and then have a look round."

Arthur carried on looking around as they headed up the wide, sweeping staircase of the large building. The hum of conversation floated around them as people travelled around the building. The entire building looked old, and elegant, with wood panelled walls and a high ornate ceiling, a large chandelier handing from it. As they reached the top the stairs divided into two balconies. Gwen played guide, pointing to her right.

"The room there is where most of the antiques are displayed, the café is up the next flight of stairs, and the craft lot use a small room up there as well," Gwen said.

"So Percy can get his chutney," Leon said.

As they took the next flight, which was located down a wide corridor, Gwen carried on talking to Arthur, knowing that it was an easy distraction for him, so he wasn't worried about the crowds and who was staring.

"The café is set up like an old style tea room, they do a nice cream tea late afternoon. Depending on how long we take, we could head back up after we've looked around, the scones are great."

"That will depend," Lancelot said from her other side. "On what we find."


	19. Chapter 19

Thursday afternoon became an entirely different matter.

Gwen and Arthur browsed the stalls. Morgana and Merlin, with Gwaine in tow, had disappeared off to the little 'occult' corner in a side room. There were a few stalls selling new age jewellery and crystals, and some rather more significant items on occasion. Percival went hunting for chutney. Lancelot hung around Gwen and Arthur and Leon strolled around close to them. Arthur didn't feel particularly threatened as they moved through the crowds. A few people brushed past him as they peered at the items on the stalls, and Arthur always tried to gain some personal space.

"I don't suppose you remember where exactly the stall was?" Lancelot asked Gwen as she looked over some framed pictures. There was one of a cluster of what looked like goblins that Arthur guessed was meant to be cute but ended up being grotesque. Leon peered over his shoulder as Arthur picked it up.

"As if goblins look like that," Leon said dismissively. Arthur quickly put the picture back down again and he moved onto the next stall.

"There are goblins?"

"Yeah, they can be a little hyperactive, and very annoying."

"You've encountered one?"

Leon shook his head, "no, but we do have some details records. Quite frankly I wouldn't want to meet them, they are nothing but trouble with an obsession for gold."

"You mean they're lawyers?" Arthur said. Leon snorted with laughter.

"Okay," he said. Arthur gave him a sidelong look.

"The legal system is not much of a friend. In my experience anyway."

"You know your father has a law degree?" Leon said. Arthur grimaced.

"No, I didn't. I don't know anything other than what I've seen, and that's not really been exactly great."

They turned to poke around another stall, picking up ornaments and Arthur sifted through a plastic tray of watercolour prints.

"To be honest," Leon said, examining a china horse as he spoke. "I don't think either of you have tried to find anything out, from each other at least."

"Guess not," Arthur said, he frowned and tilted his head before lifting the print he had spotted out and held it up. "What's that?"

Leon paused and stared at the print. It was of a landscape, a misty lake bordered by forest. In the centre, it's lines softened by the wash of mist, looked to be an island with a ruined castle built on it. The turrets of the structure rose up out of the mist, the towers broken down and sorrowful, but somehow they managed to look majestic.

"Don't know, does it say on the back?" Leon asked. Arthur flipped it over and looked at the plain white back. There was nothing on it to suggest a name or location of the lake. There was just a little sticker informing them that it was £4. Arthur turned it back over and looked at the picture again, his stomach churning in a way that over the past few days he had learnt was something he should not ignore.

Leon watched as Arthur looked up at the stall holder, who had sidled closer seeing that there was perhaps a sale to be had.

"Do you know who painted this, or where it's actually of?"

"No, idea my love," she said to Arthur, eyeing him with interest. Leon watched her, lingering by Arthur. It made Arthur flicker with irritation but Leon knew an attack could come from anywhere, he wasn't going to take a chance. He was the only one close to Arthur. Lancelot was nearby, but there was no reason for any of them to worry, except Arthur's sudden behaviour.

"Is there anyway you could find out?"

"Sorry, I just found them in a house clearance," she announced, starting to sound a little irritated. Arthur started to rummage in his pocket for his wallet, even if he couldn't find out now, there had to be a way of getting some information. He wasn't entirely sure why he felt he needed to know. Leon watched the woman for a moment, and she clearly mellowed at the fact that Arthur was willing to buy it.

"I'm not sure if the old lady produced them herself, she had quite a stack of them. The one who used to live in one of those old cottages, just by the lake, the one who took that fall."

"Oh, I remember that was in the news," Leon said, trying to sound casual. "Those little holiday home things. She fell when she was out walking."

"That's the one, no one could quite understand that, she was quite fit, and she knew the area so well."

"I think they just assumed she took a wrong turn or something. It was quite sad," Leon said.

"Yes," the woman agreed. Arthur had extracted a ten pound note from his wallet, but was flicking through the rest of the prints. Most of them were of flowers, and plants. The landscapes were few and far between and none like the picture of the island.

"I'll just take this one," Arthur said, waving the print and handing over his ten pound note. The woman smiled at him.

"I've got a five pound note, but I'm not sure if I have any pound coins, I might have to give you that in change."

"It's doesn't matter," Arthur said pleasantly, looking like he had surprised himself by that as he retrieved the five pound change off the woman. She carefully put the print into a thin carrier bag and handed it to Arthur.

"Thanks," Arthur said. She smiled again as Arthur meandered off with Leon in tow. Gwen and Lancelot strolled along behind as they realised Arthur was moving off, still scanning each stall. Arthur paused and let them catch up.

"I think you two go and scan as many stalls with jewellery as possible, there looks to be a few over there. If me and Leon start doing that we'll look a bit strange."

"Oh, you'd make a lovely couple, however, I can stand in as token female, if you'd like. Gwen and Lancelot could take over there, we'll work the other way. Have we worked out what we are looking for yet?"

Gwen frowned as Morgana directed the question at her. She frowned and shook her head, looking around.

"It's so hard to say, I was a lot smaller, it doesn't look the same, unless I start shuffling around on my knees," Gwen said.

"Let's face it," Morgana said. "It was a long shot, at least we've got Arthur out and about, so if anyone is watching, they might take a hint, especially if they see Gwen and connect it up. Quite clearly they thought you important in the scheme of things, you still probably are. I hate it when people are ahead of me." Morgana sounded a little offended by the fact she hadn't realised Gwen's place in the scheme of things. Yet, they had still had Gwen under their roof on a regular basis.

"We'll just keep looking for a while longer," Arthur said. "Where are Gwaine and Merlin?"

"Gwaine went for a grope break," Morgana said. There was a bit of eye rolling but Lancelot and Gwen wandered off and Arthur, Leon and Morgana went the other way.

"A what?" Arthur said.

"It's basically disappearing off with Merlin for a quick grope. Gwaine once said that it's to prevent him from starting smoking. Merlin, being Merlin, never refuses."

"Gwaine's probably feeling the need to reassert his prowess," Leon said, keeping his face serious. Morgana smirked.

"You look really evil when you do that," Leon told her.

"I know," Morgana said. "Now, let's go stare at jewellery."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"You shouldn't take it so seriously, you'll only make them worse," Merlin said as he leant against Gwaine, who was leaning against the wall of the Town Hall. It sort of hedged around the real reason that Gwaine was finding it annoying. Arthur did annoy him, for all sorts of different reasons, Merlin had worked that out. The main one however there was no getting away from. Most of the legends, talked about himself and Arthur, with definite hints at a deep connection. Merlin knew he hadn't helped, by being so concerned about Arthur, and for feeling the connection they were supposed to have.

It was hard to really notice at times, but Merlin knew well enough that Gwaine was insecure, over him at least. Merlin wasn't entirely sure why Gwaine was worried, he and Arthur were never going to be a couple. Arthur would probably be happy to never had sex for the rest of his life. But Merlin supposed the connection was deeper than that level of partnership. The realms of magic had been waiting centuries to get the two of them together. Gwaine, in a way, played no significant part in it. Or at least, that was how Gwaine was beginning to see it.

"He's not that good looking," Gwaine said, wrapping his arms around Merlin's waist and pulling him close.

They were tucked up in an alcove just by the steps that led up into the Town Hall. Just under the sweeping stone steps was a door that Merlin presumed led into an area of the basement. It gave them enough privacy from the people wandering in and out of the building and passing along the street. If they were walking down the side of the building towards the steps people could see them, but they paid no attention to them.

"I suppose not," Merlin said, giving as neutral answer as possible. Gwaine looked at him, while his hands slid down to Merlin's backside.

"What do you really think?"

"I think you're funny when you're insecure," Merlin said kissing him. He gave a muffled squeak as Gwaine's hands tightened on his arse. As they pulled out from the kiss Merlin looked around guiltily.

"No one's paying attention," Gwaine said.

"Are you sure you don't want to ravish me in the middle of the market?" Merlin said. Gwaine squeezed his backside again, pressing Merlin's groin against his own.

"Is that an offer? The way you scream that will be all over YouTube in minutes."

"No, it's not an offer."

"We could come back when it's dark."

"Gwaine! I don't believe you!"

"Yeah, you do."

Gwaine kissed him again, and Merlin wrapped his arms around Gwaine, pressing closer to him. As they paused for breath Gwaine nuzzled along Merlin's jaw and then worked lower, moving down his neck. Merlin tilted his head back, his eyes fluttering as Gwaine sent shivers down his spine. Then Merlin suddenly opened his eyes, movement catching his attention as he stared upwards towards the pleasant blue sky, scattered with white fluffy clouds.

"Gwaine," Merlin murmured.

Gwaine made a random sound as he gently bit down on Merlin's neck, which assured Merlin that he was awake and seeing what he was seeing. His entire body tensed, which did have something to do with Gwaine's hand wandering from his backside to his groin, but there were other things on Merlin's mind. He shook Gwaine's shoulder, gripping onto his tee-shirt. There was the sound of something ripping.

"Gwaine!" Merlin said, with greater urgency.

It made Gwaine lift his head and he frowned at Merlin, thinking that Merlin was worried about being in public. Then he realised that Merlin was still gazing upwards, so Gwaine followed his gaze staring up at the side of the building.

The sun made it a little hard to discern what the movement was, then the huge bulk shifted and Gwaine blinked. He saw several other things start to move and he pushed Merlin back a step so he could move and look up, seeing one of the creatures suddenly detach itself from the wall, turning to crawl along the side of the building.

"What the fuck?" Gwaine murmured, and then he blinked again as one of the gargoyles grabbed onto the edge of one of the open windows. They were tall elegant windows which ran up to a peak at the top and which may have, at one time or another, been filled with stained glass. Now they were practical, plain, clear glass which opened to allow the air to breeze in. Gwaine blinked as he watched the beast grip the window above them, where it had been opened to allow air to flow into the main hall. As it yanked the window open he pulled the entire thing off the top hinge, causing the glass pane to tilt and then drop. The sheer weight ripped out the bottom hinge.

Gwaine's reaction was instantaneous. He still has his arms around Merlin's waist, so he yanked him violently, dragging him sideways to pull him clear of the falling glass. Their legs tangled as they moved sending them sprawling onto the cobbles, causing a murmur from the people strolling through the square.

"Get back!" Gwaine yelled in warning, rolling again so he was on top of Merlin and he hunched his shoulders as the glass pane exploded onto the cobbles, it caused several people to shriek as glass splinters flew in all directions. Gwaine kept himself as a barrier between the glass and Merlin, which didn't matter because Merlin automatically wrapped them up in a protective bubble. The people around them were so shocked they didn't see the splinters of glass that caught in the air around the two men on the floor, Merlin catching them carefully to prevent them from hurting anyone else. It was all he could do in the time that he had.

As Gwaine rolled away from him the pieces held in the shield tinkled to the floor and they both sat up and looked up as people started to scream. Quite naturally most people had looked up to see where the glass had fallen from and spotted the half dozen gargoyles that were now crawling along the building. Another one crashed through a window, not even bothering to pull it apart, it just smashed through it. People continued to scream, running away from the building, tumbling over each other in their haste to run. Gwaine and Merlin slowly struggled to their feet, still staring up at the moving beasts. Two policemen, who had been over the far side of the square ran up, both of them staring at the scene, Gwaine turned to them.

"You'd better get the market clear and keep people away from the building."

"What about them inside?" the one on the left asked.

That seemed to cause the next flood as people started to run from the building, again tumbling over each other in their haste to get away.

"Call for back up, and keep them moving," Gwaine advised.

The sudden rush also caused one of the gargoyles, who was hanging from a window sill, to look down. Merlin watched as it's head tilted, and it's tongue lolled from it's open mouth. He saw it hunch up, it's carefully sculpted leg muscles tensing as it launched itself off the building and downwards. Merlin blinked as it's wings opened and it banked to the side, suddenly flying towards him. He tensed and raising his hand whispered. Gwaine saw his eyes flash and a moment later the creature seemed to hit something solid and pulverised to dust. Merlin used his raised hand to cover his eyes as it rained down on him, Gwaine and the policemen. It also seemed to slow the rush of people as the dust gently floated onto the cobbles.

"Get them to go sensibly," Gwaine said, pointing at the mass of people. "And file them out of here, block the area off."

"Who put you in charge?" the policeman demanded. Gwaine glowered at him.

"It seems the most sensible course of action, unless you want to go inside and take on a group of huge, stone-but-moving gargoyles."

The policeman decided he didn't really want to do that. He glanced at his partner and they both ran off to organise the evacuation as another wave of people appeared in the doorway.

"We're not getting in that way," Gwaine said. Merlin glanced along the side of the building.

"There's got to be a fire door, come on!"

Gwaine followed Merlin as he ran along the length of the building and ran around the corner. A blue metal door marred the neat stone wall. Merlin paused, and Gwaine fumbled for purchase on the edge of the door.

"Why can you never get in these things?"

"Because they are designed for when people want to get out," Merlin informed him.

Gwaine was about to snap his answer when there was a huge roar, followed by some more screaming.

"People want to get out now."

"I dare say the fire marshals are in the crush out there, since this isn't a fire. Gwaine, get out of the way!"

Gwaine paused and then stopped scrabbling and stepped back. Merlin breathed out a word and his eyes flashed and the door swung open, crashing back on the wall, and would have flattened Gwaine if he hadn't moved. He looked at Merlin slightly embarrassed. Merlin grinned. It faded as they heard another crashing sound and something thudded in the building over them.

"I can guess who isn't running away," Gwaine said. He dashed in first with Merlin hot on his heels. They paused at a small stairwell, glancing down the long corridor they were in, hearing the screams from the entrance hall.

"I'm going to guess that the main stairs will be a bit difficult to get up," Gwaine mused.

"Stairs are stairs," Merlin said starting up the small flight that was in front of them. Gwaine ran behind him, both of them taking the stairs three at a time to get up them.

"We don't know what room we'll end up at," Gwaine panted as he ran after Merlin, trying to get ahead of him, so if they did meet any danger Gwaine was there to protect his partner. Not that Merlin needed protecting, he had demonstrated as much when he had smashed one of the gargoyles apart.

"There aren't that many rooms!" Merlin yelled back. "Arthur said it looked like they were staring, so we can safely guess who they are probably aiming for."

"Looks like we've found someone who doesn't like Arthur's blondness!" Gwaine shouted back. Then both of them gave up talking and put more effort into running.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The flicker of shadow had caused Arthur to look up, but as he glanced out of the window, he didn't see anything, so he turned back to Morgana, who was filtering through a pile of junk jewellery, unsuccessfully if her expression was anything to go by. As they wandered to the next aisle the sound of glass breaking and metal groaning made them turn. The three of them stood there staring, not screaming, as the gargoyle yanked the window off and started to crawl in, buckling the rest of the metal frame, and shattering the other panes of glass.

"Okay," Arthur said, quite pleased at how calm he felt. He leant towards Leon. "Is this something you've read about?"

They slowly started to back up, aiming towards Gwen and Lancelot, who were pushing their way through the crowd to regroup.

"No," Leon said, as another gargoyle appeared crashing through the window, landing heavily on a table and crushing everything under it's huge clawed feet. It's head swept from side to side as it ambled forward, knocking obstacles out of it's way without even looking at them.

"What the hell is going on?" Lancelot demanded as he finally reached them, holding tightly to Gwen, and keeping her behind the rest of them. Leon moved in front of Arthur as they continued to back up. They all jumped as one of the creatures leapt forward, bounding towards the people running to the door.

"Oh my God, they'll be crushed!"

"Shit!" Arthur said, he grabbed the first thing that came to hand, which was a heavy glass punchbowl, and hurled it at the beast, hitting it, with instinctive accuracy, on the side of it's head. The thing growled and turned, the stone grating making them all wince. It snarled, and ignored the panicked crowd in favour of them.

"I wonder if that was a wise move," Leon mused, moving in front of them and guiding them, glancing towards one of the side doors in the hall. "I guess we're going that way."

"Good idea, keep moving," Lancelot ordered, reaching to his side and producing a gun, from what seemed to be nowhere. Leon did the same.

"How the hell did you do that?" Arthur demanded as Morgana reached into the waistband of her jeans, at the small of her back, and produced her own firearm.

"Concealment spell of Merlin's, nobody sees them, unless you draw them from the holster," Lancelot said.

"Nobody thought to mention this to me?" Arthur asked, reaching the doorway and pulling Gwen through it. Morgana shuttled after them. Lancelot and Leon blocked the door for a moment.

"Actually, orders from your father, he didn't want to worry you," Lancelot said.

"That wouldn't have worried me, you lot carrying concealed weapons, does not worry me. Those!" he pointed at the gargoyles trampling through the room. "They worry me!"

Gwen gave a yelp and then clapped her hands over her mouth as another of them crashed into the room they were backing into. Arthur turned, and pushed Gwen behind him looking at the dragon like creature as it moved low to the ground through the room. There were tables and chairs stacked around the room. One of it's wings brushed against a pile of chairs sending them scattering to the floor. The animal jumped and swiped at them, sending padding into the air as it ripped some of the upholstery.

"Oh, that one looks agile," Morgana said.

"Will those guns to any good?" Arthur said, taking the one that Lancelot produced from the waistband of his trousers.

"You've only got what's in that clip," he warned Arthur. Then Lancelot aimed and shot at the creature's head. It made it recoil a little but did nothing more than leave a hole in the stone. The dragon snarled, turning his attention to them.

"I've got a spare clip," Lancelot said to explain the waste.

"I don't think it's going to make much different, we'll fire a couple, make for that door," Leon said.

"On three?" Morgana asked.

Arthur took Gwen's hand, knowing what was coming.

"Three!" Leon and Lancelot yelled, firing twice at the dragon. The others ran, then so did the two men. They ran through the door and Arthur took the heavy wood in both hands, slamming it round before they ran down the corridor. The door met the creature head on, giving them a few more seconds, until they almost ran into another gargoyle destroying a door frame to get through.

"Shit, go back!" Morgana yelled.

"Crap!" Arthur said.

"Crud but apt," Leon told him. "All we've got is the stairs up."

"If we go up we can take the main stairs down, hopefully," Morgana said.

"No other option!" Lancelot announced, pushing Leon up. "Go ahead, just in case! GO!"

They all ran, hearing the crashing sounds behind him.

"At least if they all follow us, they might all get stuck or something!" Gwen said, her voice wavering a little. Arthur ran behind her, hot on her heels but as they reached the stairs and dashed into the tearoom they faltered. The people still in there, unaware of the disaster downstairs eyed them in shock. Three of them slid the weapons back into their camouflaged hiding places, Arthur put his behind his back.

Percival, who was sat at a table drinking coffee and admiring his newly bought jars of chutney looked up and started to carefully put the jars back in the bag. He swallowed a huge mouthful of his drink and slowly got up.

"If he's trying to be subtle it's not working," Lancelot murmur, and waved at him to come over. Percival obeyed, frowning as he looked at them.

"This is not good," Leon murmured. "Does a public place make it easier or harder to get to Arthur?"

"Easier or harder for what?" Percival asked.

"Harder because there are more people," Morgana said. "Easier because he probably won't want anyone to get hurt."

"This lot are probably better staying put, come on," Leon said heading through the room, Arthur hid the gun under his shirt and, with Percival still demanding to know what was going on, they fled through the café as swiftly as they could, running down the stairs. The people watched them go, and started to chatter a little curiously.

"Maybe we should have warned them," Gwen said.

"No, I guess they will be fine, if we go down, so will those creatures," Leon said.

"You don't know that!" Gwen snapped.

"Safe from what?" Percival asked.

"Gargoyles," Leon said before turning to Gwen. "No, I don't, it's a best guess, it's all I have!"

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Arthur wavered; staggering and shaking his head, slipping down the last three steps and said, randomly.

"Just come down the stairs from the tea-room, where are you?"

"What?" Gwen asked. Arthur blinked and shook his head.

"Merlin, I don't know which way is east!"

"That way," Morgana said, helpfully, pointing to the left. Arthur shook his head.

"Right," he said, wandering that way. Then he shook his head again and staggered. "I didn't say I was going right, Merlin, you idiot! I was saying right as in agreeing!"

Arthur would have cannoned into a wall but Lancelot grabbed his arm and steadied him. They ran down the corridor and as they reached the stairs, Merlin bounded into view, almost crashing into them. Gwaine was right behind him.

"Have you seen the gargoyles?"

"Yes, one looked like it was about to eat us, then Lancelot put a hole in it's head," Leon said.

"Did that stop it?"

"No, I think it's just pissed it off," Morgana said, turning as she heard growling. The dragon was heading down the corridor towards them at speed, they drew their guns but Merlin held out his hand again and as the beast leapt it exploded into pieces.

"Well, that's useful," Arthur said.

"That might depend on what they are made of," Merlin said. "The other one just became dust, and I used the same spell."

"So if we have denser stone, we might have a problem," Gwaine said.

"Can you up the power? I could help," Morgana said. Merlin shook his head.

"Dunno."

Arthur jumped and frowned as his phone started to ring. He pulled it out of his back pocket and cringed before answering it.

"Hello?" he paused and listened. "No, we're in the building."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "You know what dad, I would never have thought of that. I don't think it will make much difference if we are in or out of the building, they're coming after us. We might put everyone else in danger if we try getting out!"

He frowned and looked at Merlin. "Would me being away from the building stop them moving?"

Merlin looked wide eyed and shook his head. "Don't know, if they are after you then maybe, maybe not."

"That could go either way," Arthur said into the phone. "I think we need to find out if they are really following me before we do anything else."

He pulled the phone away from his ear and snapped it shut, not before they all heard Uther's voice announce.

"Arthur, don't you dare!"

"Right," Arthur said. "What's best, open space or small space?"

"Open," Merlin and Morgana said, while at the same time Leon and Lancelot announced.

"Small!"

Arthur rolled his eyes and glanced at Gwaine. Gwaine shrugged.

"I don't know, Merlin can probably try exploding them but in a confined space that may be dangerous, the large ones may be limited in a small space but that might make them hard to shoot."

Arthur shrugged, glancing around as everyone looked at him, almost expectantly, except Percival who was trying to find a way to carry his bag without damaging it.

"Give it to Gwen," Arthur advised him, handing his bag to her. Gwen frowned.

"What am I, the bag lady?"

"You're the one who's staying out of danger," Arthur announced.

"I doubt she'll get out of the building," Leon said. Arthur's eyes narrowed.

"Fine, Percival go with her. If they follow you, run to the main hall, it might be an open space, but there are obstacles."

"Are you sure about this Arthur?" Merlin said. Arthur shrugged.

"No, but let's do it anyway."

"It's what we came for," Gwaine said with a grin. Arthur shrugged and they ran down the corridor, heading for the main hall. All of them sending glances Arthur's way, not because he had suddenly seemed to take charge, but because all of them had noticed.

He had called Uther 'dad'.


	20. Chapter 20

Uther had noticed the same thing. Despite the acidic tone, which could have been construed as sarcasm, Arthur had said it. Uther wasn't sure why, it didn't seem to be something Arthur particularly wanted to acknowledge. He looked up at the town hall, as the phone line died, his mobile giving one brief beep before there was nothing. He had finished what he needed to do and had come to the town hall, but he wasn't sure what he was going to do. The last time he had interrupted Arthur's time with the others, on the training field, it had been carnage, and not because of his bloody nose.

"I have to get into the building, I need to find Arthur," Uther said to Gaius, who stood next to him.

"I can come with you."

"Gaius, I think you are better employed out here," Uther said, looking around at the chaos and not wanting his oldest friend to put himself into danger. Gaius nodded, glancing around himself, and then blinking as he looked back up at the steps. In the last rush of people Percival was a little hard to miss. He was staying close to Guinevere, making sure no one knocked or pushed her as he escorted her out of the building. He had already elbowed one guy in the face as he had shoved her out of the way. After that no one had dared to get in their way. Gwen allowed herself to be pulled clear and then came face to face with Uther.

"Where are the others?"

"Still in there," Percival said.

"What are you doing out here then?" Uther snapped.

"Arthur told me to get Gwen to safety," Percival said. He had obeyed the order, almost automatically. Plus, he liked Gwen, she added chutney to meals in amazing, and rather mysterious ways, and also put extra on sandwiches specially for him, when she left food out. Percival now felt a bit confused. Gwen had been accepted as part of them now, he hadn't thought twice about the order.

Uther frowned, processed the information and then turned to Gaius.

"You should stay and help here, Gwen can assist you. I need to get into the building," Uther said, directing his final comment to Percival, who nodded and followed Uther. They came immediately into contact with one of the policemen patrolling the area.

"Sir, you can't go in there."

"I have three children trapped in there," Uther announced before getting past, with Percival in tow.

Gwen followed Gaius as he ran to help someone with a sliver of glass in her leg.

"I need something to help secure this," Gaius said. Gwen shrugged off her cardigan and handed it to him. Gaius started to put it around the glass sliver.

"Can't you just take it out?" the woman asked. The little boy sat by her side snivelled. Gwen hugged him.

"No, that will increase the bleeding, for now the glass is plugging the wound, we need to wait for an ambulance. Gwen, I need to you find a paramedic, they are probably coming through, can you direct them?"

"I'll find them," Gwen said. "You stay with mum, and hold these for me."

"Will mummy be okay?"

"Yes, Gaius will look after her, you stay here okay?" Gwen said. The little boy nodded and Gwen got up and ran to the edge of the square pushing people out of her way, and rather inclined to employ Percival's method of elbowing them in the face. She managed to restrain herself enough to meet a paramedic who had appeared on the scene.

"There's a woman over there, she's got some glass in her leg, her little boy is with her. It's a serious injury."

"Show me," the paramedic said. Gwen obliged and then followed Gaius as he moved through the causalities.

"He said three children."

"Sorry," Gaius said as he applied a dressing to a head wound. Merlin seemed to have protected most people in the square. The injuries Gaius treated had mostly come from people running away.

"Uther said he had three children."

"Arthur, Morgana and Merlin."

Gwen frowned and Gaius calmly looked up at her. "He might not show it as well as some people expect him to, but he cares about all of them. He adopted Merlin when he was twelve, Morgana when she was five, and there was always Arthur. He was devastated when Igraine ran, when she was pregnant."

"You mean he hadn't even seen Arthur?"

"Never, and he's known for twenty years that he had to find him, and not only tell Arthur that he's his father, but then tell him exactly what he might have to become."

Gwen blinked, that seemed rather enormous.

"Oh," she said.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"I think we can safely say Arthur's the target!" Gwaine yelled. Merlin blasted his power at the gargoyle, which sent it into the nearest wall but nothing beyond that. The wall didn't take it too well, plaster falling apart as it cracked under the blow.

"Well, I did say they were staring!" Arthur yelled diving under a table and rolling out of the way.

The room was now in chaos. They had tried working in a corridor, now they were in an open space and it was quite clear that Arthur had all the gargoyles focus. The others could distract the creatures with fast movement, magic and bullets, but in the end they were turning back to Arthur again and again.

"They are tied to the building, maybe getting you out might help!" Leon yelled.

"Nowhere to go!" Percival yelled running in. "It's chaos in the square. It will just cause more panic!"

"Arthur!" Uther yelled as he followed Percival, who had cleared the path for him.

"What?" Arthur snapped as he got out and ran for the far wall.

"Go left, don't block yourself in!" Uther snapped. "And don't you ever hang up on me again! That is just so rude!"

"Oh sorry, I didn't realise there was an etiquette!"

"At least you're not swearing," Uther said.

"I have been, oh fuck!" Arthur said dodging again as the huge marble statue moved towards him. "Merlin, try again!"

Merlin did. The creature wavered but the stone was too dense, it didn't shatter.

"It's marble, I can't seem to do it!"

"Oh shit!" Arthur said ducking again as the creature advanced. The only advantage he had was that it was slow. Merlin had damaged most of the lighter stone creatures. There was only four to deal with but the main one, that had stood proudly on the top of the town hall for almost a century was a hard one to crack.

"Who is this guy anyway?"

"Most of the gargoyles were donated, this one by the man who built the hall. Cornelius something," Morgana snapped.

"When?" Arthur demanded.

"Well, over a century ago."

"Oh great, they've planned for centuries, we're just winging it," Arthur drawled, then he frowned, crouching lower. His gaze was drawn to the gargoyle's chest as it lumbered towards him. Arthur backed up, keeping crouched down as he assessed the situation.

"Arthur!" Uther yelled, trying to get over the debris to him.

"Not now! Merlin, do it again!"

Arthur stopped moving, looking at the glowing light that was starting to emanate from the creature's chest. Merlin hadn't stopped it, but he had damaged it.

"Lancelot, I need that spare clip," Arthur said calmly, not moving as the stone giant turned to bear down on him. Lancelot gaped but pulled the clip and looked around.

"Now would be good!" Arthur added.

"I'm throwing it over."

Arthur's instincts took over. They had always been fairly good. His punches hit with accuracy and he could always make a fairly good score on a dart board. Over the years he hadn't though much about it, and although he certainly wasn't that good after just one morning with a gun, or an afternoon with a sword, and a few hours to get his head round it; he realised he was probably learning better than most people. And he had always known, the safest route, the best way to dodge, when to grit his teeth and not give them the satisfaction of a sound.

So when Lancelot tossed the clip of bullets over the floor Arthur heard the noise, it came to a stop by his feet and he picked it up, which was when he fired at the statue. He pumped what he could into it and then reloaded and carried on, putting bullets into the crack that had appeared in it's chest, making it wider, working it up towards the beast's neck.

"Merlin, again," he said, getting up, moving over a table, jumping an overturned rack of cards and rolling. He sprawled on the floor and lay still. Merlin lifted his hand, eyes glowing, as Uther rushed to reach his son. Merlin felt the flow of his power and he aimed it at the crack that Arthur had opened up in the beast, seeing the glow of magic from within the structure. Merlin pressed on it, using the damage Arthur made to increase the crack, until there was a snapping sound and the whole thing exploded. All of them ducked, diving for cover as the statue started to splinter. Slivers of blue light started to expose themselves as the statue carried on advancing.

"Any time you like Merlin!"

"I am doing my best Arthur! Shut up and stop distracting me!"

"Merlin! I don't have anything left and…" Arthur shut up and dived as the statue started to split. He fell back, aided by the weight that landed against him, pulling him over. Arthur's eyes rolled in his head as whatever was lingering in the centre of the statue exploded out. Blue light engulfed the room and chunks of marble flew in all directions. As Arthur landed heavily against a table edge, sending a flash of pain up his spine, which for some reason made his teeth ache, the gargoyle's head landed on the floor smashing the floorboards just to his left. The contents of the table flew in all directions as the force of Arthur striking it knocked it over. He fell in a tangle of limbs with whoever had rushed to cover him, and there was a grunt of pain from both of them.

Arthur lay gasping for breath as the action in the room stilled. The remaining gargoyles crashed to the floor. Arthur struggled to get away from the person sprawled on top of him. After a moment they rose up, taking the pressure of Arthur, which relaxed him enough to slowly wriggle away and then sit up, blinking and wiping away something dripping in his eyes.

"Arthur."

The concern in Uther's voice made him pause, and he looked at his hand. It was smeared with blood. Uther gently took his chin and brushed Arthur's hair off his forehead to examine the cut on his brow. Arthur tensed, blinking again to completely focus his vision and he gasped. Uther was using his right arm, but it was painful for him, his shirt was torn and bloodied and glancing about Arthur saw the substantial chunk of marble that had struck him. In comparison Arthur's injury was mild, but from the look on his face, Uther clearly didn't see it like that. He tilted Arthur's head to look into his eyes.

"Arthur?"

"I'm fine, you're hurt worse."

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Uther said, continuing to examine Arthur and resisting all of Arthur's attempts to look at his damaged shoulder.

"Everyone else all right?" Lancelot asked, glancing around the room. There were general murmurs from the rest of them as they slowly started to drift to Uther and Arthur.

"Dad, I'm fine!" Arthur protested as Uther prodded around the gash. Arthur spoke loudly, his words echoing around the room, one of them again seeming to have great emphasis.

Uther didn't comment, despite the fact the sound of it caused his heart to start pounding. Instead he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it to Arthur's wound to control the blood flow. Arthur tried to move and resist the attention but Uther wasn't taking no for an answer. It seemed to him to be the only way to deal with Arthur.

"We had better have Gaius look at you, from the look of that you could be at risk from concussion."

"You need to be treated as well Sir," Leon said as he gingerly peered at Uther's shoulder.

"I'm fine," Uther said, sounding oddly similar to Arthur.

"No you're not," Arthur contradicted as he saw the increasing concern on Leon's face, and feeling the weakness of Uther's grip from the affected arm. Arthur took over the handkerchief, applying the pressure himself, wincing at the pain.

"That attack was risky, to the point of stupid," Uther informed his son. Arthur glared at him.

"So is getting whacked by a big chunk of marble."

Uther smiled, slowly moving and allowing Leon to help him up. Percival carefully did the same for Arthur, trying to minimise the contact since Arthur didn't like it. He felt the usual ripple of tension, but Arthur decided he was coping better with it now. It was quite obvious that none of them had the slightest interest in him, or at least not in the way that made Arthur's senses go on alert. However, as soon as he was sure Arthur was steady Percival released him. Arthur blinked and brought the blood stained handkerchief away from his head, wincing at the red stain that now marred the pristine white material.

"Oh," Arthur said, putting the handkerchief back. Uther frowned.

"Are you all right Arthur?"

"I didn't realise it was bleeding that much. I feel all right though."

"We had better get Gaius to look at him, and perhaps get out of here, I don't think we want to have to answer too many questions about this," Lancelot said.

"How are they going to explain away the gargoyles on the buildings moving?"

"Actually they're grotesques," Percival said.

"What?" Arthur asked, turning his head gingerly to look at him.

"Gargoyles are the ones that drain water from the roof, these don't, they're not gargoyles, not all of them anyway."

Everyone stared at Percival, who shrugged. "I thought everyone knew that."

"Never mind, let's get out of here as discreetly as possible, I want that head wound looked at," Uther said.

"I think yours might need dealing with first," Arthur challenged, and the two Pendragon men stared at each other. The rest of the group watched warily, even when being mutually polite they still seemed to argue. However, all of them jumped at the sudden sound of someone clapping behind them. Uther turned, and Arthur stepped forward. Putting a hand out Uther shielded him, keeping Arthur behind him. The rest of them moved to flanking positions and stared at the newcomer.

He was thin, with sleek dark hair as black as a raven's wing. He stood in the centre of the chaos, a sneering smirk on his face and his hands still connecting to make the sound echo around the room.

"Oh, now isn't that such a lovely family picture."

"Who's this guy?" Arthur asked.

"And where did he come from?" Gwaine added. Arthur frowned, leaning forward.

"Do we know who this is?"

Uther shook his head. "Many of our enemies have lingered in the shadows."

"Funny how they're all appearing now," Arthur said.

The man stopped clapping and simply faced them, smiling at them politely. Then he shrugged and walked a few steps, looking around at the damage they had created. From outside the sounds of sirens were coming louder. The stranger nodded his head sagely as he assessed the damage that they had done to the statues. The other three had crumbled when the marble one had been destroyed.

"How very impressive. You've come on leaps and bound, you cheap little whore."

Arthur blinked at the insult, taking in a sharp breath. His reaction probably wasn't noticed, because in front of him Uther went rigid, giving a low angry growl. The rest of them shifted, and Leon went so far as to take Uther's upper arm, holding him in place. Even Percival shifted a little closer, to help restrain Uther, should it become necessary. Arthur, on the other hand, was entirely accustomed to people insulting him, and had long ago perfected the art of talking back.

"Actually I'm about average market price, but very good value."

The man chuckled again, which made Arthur shiver slightly. He eased his way forward, around Uther.

"So you know who I am, probably who we all are, so who the hell are you?" Arthur demanded.

"Ah, of course, how rude of me. Cornelius Sigan."

"The guy who donated that thing to the town hall."

"A little taste of immortality," Sigan announced with a smile. "I was an old man, the stone helped keep my soul alive. With the magic seeping through, especially with the Once And Future King in attendance, taking form was no problem."

"That is just weird," Arthur said. "What was the point of that?"

"All the signs told me that the Once And Future King was returning. That Arthur would again help Merlin restore the balance of magic. Someone had to watch, and wait for you."

"And then try to kill me?" Arthur said.

Sigan huffed with laughter, spreading his hands out, looking at the mess in the room. "If the magic is to return, why would I wish it controlled. Ask your loyal little friend there, he can feel it, the potential of the magic that rushes through his veins."

Merlin shrugged, shrinking under Sigan's gaze and he turned to look at Arthur.

"Well, kind of."

"If the barrier was destroyed then the balance of the world would fall into chaos, no death, no life, just power. The order of chaos would reign."

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "You should get a fake tan and take up TV Evangelism."

Sigan glared at him, eyes flashing gold as several objects in the room began to shake. Arthur eased back slightly and the other men moved forward to protect him.

"You should watch that filthy little mouth of yours," Sigan snarled. "Put it back to the use it was so very good for, sucking off sad little men in alleyways."

Arthur flinched, he couldn't help himself. He had probably heard it all before, but never with such venom. The others clustered closer to him, which could have increased his tension, but he could sense the air of concern, all of them of the same mind to protect him. Arthur blinked, a frown crossing his face.

"So you knew where I was?"

"Of course."

"In which case, why not just kill me, if you wanted me out of the way?"

"If the cycle is broken, one piece of the puzzle missing, then nothing can happen. The little breaks in the veil are there, as long as the Once And Future King exists. All the pieces were in place. And the fun was watching daddy desperately trying to find you."

Uther's jaw clenched. Sigan looked at him with mock sympathy.

"Of course, we had no trouble keeping track of your son, thanks to a lonely historian, with quite an interest in teenage boys."

Arthur swallowed heavily, tears prickling behind his eyes. "Geoff."

"Yes, Geoffrey Monmouth, he already had a little interest in the legend, with a few hints to go on, he tracked you down and what a pretty little thing you were. He could just not help himself."

"He was collecting information for you."

Sigan gave a slight grimace. "Not quite, I'm just the sentinel. I could sense it all."

"And what were you planning on doing with this information?" Morgana asked. Sigan eyed her carefully, Morgana's face twisted into a sneer as he looked her up and down.

"There was no need to do anything, as long as the shadow remained over the Once And Future King. What use were the rest of you without the other side of the coin."

Arthur frowned at the strange reference, but he glanced at Merlin. Merlin glanced back.

"But we found him," Uther said. "I found my son."

Sigan rocked back on his heels, laughing with delight, sounding slightly psychotic in Arthur's opinion.

"And who do you think gave you those last few hints. Maybe his conscience finally got the better of him, but the man who had been fucking him for years gave you just enough leads to put you on Arthur's trail. Interesting price he paid for it, his pain lasted for hours. I could feel his soul screaming."

Sigan laughed as Arthur winced.

"The curse of your birth I'm afraid, your soul has been tainted."

"What?" Arthur asked. Uther stepped forward.

"His birth has nothing to do with this."

Sigan laughed again, the sound rippled around the room, seeming to take it over, crawling over every corner.

"But it does, how long can you hide it from him Uther. Those little white lies are always the worst, aren't they?"

"What?" Arthur demanded.

"The only way for the Once And Future King to be born is to be given life through magic, and for a life to be created, one must be taken."

Arthur blinked, and then turned to glare at Uther.

"My mother? Does he mean my mother?"

"The law of magic might have, and your father is not exactly unfamiliar with ritual murder."

Uther glared at Sigan, jaw tensing. Arthur stared at him with his eyes widening.

"But he'd never let anything happen to his precious Igraine."

Arthur stared at Uther, Sigan's words penetrating his consciousness but he was staring at his father in horror.

"Still, she proved corruptible in the end. Even your father doesn't know the true reason that she ran, that she planned to give your soul back to the void it came from."

Arthur turned. "What?"

"Unfortunately she was told one lie too many, those little white lies again. And when you were born Igraine found she couldn't do that to her precious little boy. All those years, she wasn't hiding you from Uther, she suffered the corruption you should have. And she could never risk your father finding you, not until the curse played out. I'm not sure it has though, tainted as you are. What use are you, the Once And Future King a cheap piece of street meat."

"Well, I'll tell you one thing I can do," Arthur said calmly, he looked up, eyes icy cold, the smile not reaching them as he regarded Sigan.

"I can count," Arthur informed him as he lifted the gun that was still in his hand.


	21. Chapter 21

The bullet took him in the forehead, sending Sigan's head snapping back. The body fell backwards, crashing to the floor. No one moved for a few seconds, until Lancelot gingerly stepped forward, peering down at the body as it slowly started to crumble. Stretching out one foot he gave it a gentle nudge, which did nothing more than speed up the disintegration process until there was just a faint trace of grey powder swirling lightly in the air.

"That was a bit of an anti-climax," he commented. "And I think we can safely say that Arthur can also shoot."

Lancelot looked at Arthur, but he hadn't registered the compliment, he looked like he was trying not to be sick. The paleness of his face was emphasised by the ugly, red wound on his brow.

"Sophia said always keep one shot back just for emergencies, although most of the time she meant mini bottle of vodka tucked on her person," Arthur said, his voice remained oddly calm, but his face was flickering with a mix of emotions. The sound of the sirens reached the square, flashes of blue light intermingling with the sunshine streaming through the windows.

"We had better leave, hopefully the confusion will be enough of a cover," Uther said.

Lancelot looked around at the disaster that was now the main hall, tables and goods were scattered everywhere and lumps of stone were dispersed intermittently in the chaos.

"How the hell are they going to explain all this though?"

"Let's not have that as our problem," Uther said.

They all jumped at the clatter as Arthur dropped the gun. He was starting to shake uncontrollably, staring at the remains of the body, of someone who should have been long dead. Arthur blinked again, flinching as Uther took his arm. He took a firm grip, if Arthur resisted Uther didn't want to take no for the answer. Lancelot carefully retrieved the gun.

"We need to leave now."

"If we go down the back stairs, we can probably get out through a fire door, no one's using them," Gwaine said.

"I think we need to go now," Morgana said. She headed off, looking left and right and checking everywhere. The rest of them followed, a little rag tag band, Merlin and Gwaine went behind Morgana, Uther led Arthur along and Lancelot, Leon and Percival stayed on the rear. Arthur hardly reacted to his father's presence, which told Uther all he needed to know. He had at least learnt his son hated people being in close proximity to him, now he was hardly registering it. Uther didn't know if it was because of Arthur's actions, or what he had heard, or more likely, a horrific combination of both. Arthur swallowed heavily, gulping twice as Uther realised what was about to happen. He paused the convoy, and turned Arthur to allow him to vomit. Uther kept his hand on the back of Arthur's neck, rubbing lightly to reassure him. Arthur nearly doubled over and his body clenched as the sickness took him again. He spat up what he could and stayed bent over, gasping for breath.

"Come on, keep moving," Uther said. He eased Arthur upright and forced him to keep going. Arthur stomach continued to clench but it was nothing more than an aftershock. He kept going, stumbling on the steps, hardly looking where he was going. Arthur kept his eyes focused on Merlin's back, and on Uther guiding him. He couldn't even care about the mental disturbance that the touch was causing him. There were just too many other things happening to him.

"I'm going to be sick again," Arthur said, putting his hand over his mouth.

"Get out of that door."

Arthur felt himself pushed out into the fresh air and Uther then spun him round to face the wall, protecting him by the open door. Arthur heaved again, but nothing really came up. Saliva filled his mouth and Arthur spat it out, again and again.

"Lancelot, go and find Gaius and Gwen, take my keys, use my car. I'll go home with Arthur."

"Yes sir."

Lancelot wasn't going to complain about the orders, he could find Gwen and make sure she was safe. Lancelot could leave Arthur's safety to others, and he didn't doubt that he could assure Arthur's safety by doing so. He scurried off into the square to help Gaius and Gwen. The others, with Percival taking the lead, headed off through the town, Uther still keeping a firm grip of Arthur as he kept him moving. They tried to thread their way through as discreetly as possible, easing into the side-streets. But with two obviously injured people it was difficult to stay inconspicuous. What had happened at the town hall had obviously started to spread as gossip. People were on their way there too see the damage, to find relatives and friends. It made it difficult for the group to avoid attention. They tucked themselves into a small alcove barred by a metal gate. Arthur leant against it, gripping the bars and pressing his forehead against the cold metal.

"Me and Percival can go and fetch the cars and bring them round," Gwaine said.

"Do it," Uther ordered.

Arthur gulped in as much fresh air as he could.

"Arthur?" Merlin's voice asked tentatively. Arthur's senses were alert enough to realise that Merlin had moved closer to him, but he kept enough of a distance, staying out of Arthur's personal space.

"Merlin, just leave him," Uther advised.

"I'm all right Merlin, don't worry about me."

"None of us can do that," Merlin's voice announced. There was a mild reprimand to it. A short number of days ago he had tried slitting his wrists. Arthur had to admit his heart hadn't been in the attempt. Not this time. Times before he had wanted it. The only person he had cared about was dead, so was there to really worry about him. This time it had been a notice to himself as well as everyone else around him, particularly his father, he just wanted to make himself matter. And he had, so the whole thing, in Arthur's opinion, had just been embarrassing.

He wasn't going to do it again. None of them were going to give him the chance, and there was something very reassuring about that. For now he just had to concentrate on getting past what he had just learnt, and work out how it fitted into the grand design of his fucked up life.

"I want to be sick again," Arthur said.

"It's fine, Arthur."

He pressed his head harder against the bars, looking up and seeing the beer garden beyond. They were tucked into the alleyway that led from the courtyard outside the pub.

"Nice to know I have your permission," he informed Uther. Uther gave a low chuckle in response, and Arthur got another, what he realised was affectionate, hand rubbing up and down his back. It didn't stop his body tensing, automatically; but his mind processed the reality. His stomach clenched, his mouth flooding with saliva as he tried to control the sensation. In the end he had to give up and he retched again, spitting out what had gathered in his mouth, and his body heaved, the muscles of his torso tensing painfully. Straightening up Arthur pressed himself against the bars again and took slow deep breaths.

They could still here the sounds coming from the town square. Sirens were wailing, and someone had got hold of a megaphone and appeared to be issuing instructions.

"I wonder what they will make of all the gargoyles…"

"Grotesques," Arthur corrected Merlin.

"… being in the building instead of on it?"

"They'll make up something Merlin. The fact that those things have been waiting for a century are what we need to concern ourselves with," Uther told him.

"But all those people were in danger," Merlin protested, while Arthur closed his eyes and listened to the conversation.

"Wherever people go, whatever they do, there will always be some level of danger."

"This is a danger I should be working to prevent," Merlin said.

They carried on talking. Uther's voice tense, but staying fairly reasonable, as if he was perfectly willing to tolerate Merlin's feelings on the subject, even if he didn't agree with it. Arthur just let it wash over him, holding onto the railings and using that grip to anchor himself. He winced as the cut pressed against the bars and he angled his head to relieve the pressure.

"Arthur?"

"I'm fine, Merlin."

"Hang on, let me," there was a pause and then Arthur's felt Merlin's fingertips brush against his skin. There was a warm rush, similar to the one he had felt when Merlin had treated the serket sting and the pain in his head started to ease a little.

"Thanks," Arthur said, not bothering to open his eyes.

"Do you need me to do the same?"

"Just ease the pain a little Merlin, Gaius is probably best to look at both wounds when we get back," Uther advised him.

"They're coming now," Morgana said. "Arthur if you get in the front with Percival, I can bandage you up as we drive."

"It's fine Morgana," Uther snapped.

"That arm needs strapping up," she said insistently. Arthur ended the argument by staggering over to do as Morgana asked. Merlin clambered in next to Gwaine while Leon got in the back seat looking unsure about the arrangement, which separated him from Arthur, until Morgana waved at him.

"We'll stay just in front of you," Gwaine said leaning over Merlin to talk out of the passenger window at Percival, who nodded.

"I think the main danger is over, we just need to get out of here," Percival said. "I hope Gwen still has my chutney."

Gwaine snorted and sat back. Merlin put the window up again and the convoy slowly moved off, skirting the outside of the town to keep out of the way of the disaster that had been created.

"Here," Morgana said to Arthur, handing him a dressing. "Apply pressure to it."

"Thanks," Arthur said, doing as he was told, putting his hand to his head. The wound was not bleeding badly now, Merlin had taken care of the worst of it, and the pain. It was the ache in Arthur's heart that he couldn't fix. Arthur closed his eyes, pressing the gauze down to cause a flare of pain. Better to think about that, he thought to himself. For the time being he didn't want to think about the facts he had to face.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Gwen was even relieved of cooking duty that night. Instead they phoned for a takeaway. She had phoned her father to say she was staying up at the house, much to his concern. There was a guest room she could crash in, but she didn't think any of them would sleep, not properly anyway. Arthur was too calm for anyone's liking and she had caught Uther's eye earlier, reading the silent request for her to stay. He'd never probably like her, or trust her, but Uther's first responsibility appeared to be Arthur, and for that reason he wanted her there. It caused a slight thawing of her feelings towards him, especially when it occurred to her it wasn't just Arthur he was worried about. Merlin was part of his concern as well.

Once the food had arrived, Arthur had quietly requested Chinese, so that what had been chosen, they sat in the large dining room, not really talking. Uther's arm had been bound up and Arthur had been given a local anaesthetic so Gaius could stitch the cut. That was now wearing off and his head was starting to throb again. The temporary pain relief Merlin had given him was clearly wearing off as well.

The television in the nearby cabinet was on, the sound down, while the local news played through the events. Some of the moving gargoyles had been caught on camera, on mobile phones, so it was hard to dismiss the evidence.

"Bloody technology," Uther had muttered while eating chicken chow mien.

"At least we weren't caught doing anything," Gwaine said. "Except Gaius, who was doing something good."

"Thank you," Gaius drawled. He had been hailed as something of a hero for staying to help with the wounded. Lancelot had arrived just before any officials and reporters and he had kept Gwen clear of it. Gaius worked as a doctor, he had been in the town when the incident happened. It was logical for him to help.

"So, what do we do now?" Leon asked. "Sigan said he was a sentinel, we can presume he was doing that for someone. He activated when Arthur arrived."

"You said it seemed like they were staring," Merlin said tentatively to Arthur, who had not engaged in any conversation so far. He had been silent on the car journey and had said nothing since, except to pick out his food order, which he wasn't really eating anyway.

"Arthur?" Uther asked, his voice soft, but commanding.

"Don't ask me if I'm all right."

"I wasn't going to, since you are clearly not, and you will not be left alone for the moment."

"I'm not going to do that again!" Arthur snapped, picking up the implication of Uther's words.

"So you say, but that is not the reason that you shouldn't be alone. I don't care where you go in this house, you are not going anywhere alone. What I want to ask you was what made you think they were staring. Did you see anything?"

"Nothing moving, it was just a sense that something was looking at me."

"Which clearly seemed to be the case, everything's been quiet since we found Arthur, now it might get busy," Morgana said.

"It doesn't make any sense," Arthur said, stabbing an innocent piece of beef. He stabbed at it again for good measure and it stuck to the prongs of his fork, so he dumped that on his side plate.

"What doesn't?" Merlin asked.

"Do they need me alive or not? People have been not killing me, trying to kill me, apparently you and me together make this magic thing happen, they want chaos, they want order. What the fuck do they want from me? What the hell do you lot want from me?"

Arthur picked up his plate and hurled it across the room. There was a small pause, noodles and sauce sliding down the wall, before Gwen got up, picking up some napkins to try and clean up the mess.

"I'll get a bowl and some towels," Merlin offered, getting up. Then he turned. "Arthur this is not the way to do this."

Arthur put his head in his hands as Merlin spoke, and then he rushed off to get what they needed. Gwen attempted to clean up the mess, trying to scoop it up into napkins and dump it into a discarded container.

"It's just how I have to. I've always had to," Arthur said.

"Not any more," Morgana said.

"I can't do this," Arthur announced. He wasn't quite sure what he really meant by that, but he looked up as he sensed a shift in the atmosphere. Percival and Leon had moved, Lancelot hadn't but he looked ready. All three pairs of eyes shifted to Uther again, and so did Arthur's, staring at his father, who with a glance seemed to make them back off, which made Arthur think that he had started it in the first place.

"What?" Arthur said.

Merlin came running back, but he paused in the doorway, holding the towels and a bowl. Arthur pushed his chair back.

"Don't you dare."

"If I think you need it, it will be for your own good," Uther informed him. Arthur's expression darkened.

"I'm not going to do anything," Arthur snarled.

"I was certain of that before we found this out."

"Leave him alone," Merlin said. The tone of voice caused everyone to stare at him. Merlin stepped forward and his eyes flashed, gold swirling within the blue.

"I said leave him alone." Merlin repeated the words, forcefully, clearly not planning to take any argument on the subject. Gwen paused cleaning, slowly standing up and shifting so she was in position behind Arthur. Lancelot paused, looking somewhat uncomfortable as the dynamics shifted around the room.

"That is the last thing he needs, I stand by what I said, I don't want him left alone, even if it is not me that is with him."

Arthur frowned at his father's words.

"I can do it," Merlin said.

Arthur looked ready to argue, until Gwen said.

"It's fair enough, Arthur. You're not in a fit state to be left alone."

With a heavy sigh Arthur folded his arms on the table and put his head down on them. Over his head a few of them shared concerned glances.

"Stop that," Arthur's muffled voice announced. "I can practically hear you lot thinking."

"No offence Arthur," Gaius said, suddenly breaking the silence. "But you are not emotionally stable, I don't think you were even before this happened, and you've received a fair number of shocks over a short space of time. And whether you meant or didn't mean it, you have also attempted suicide. It is, quite naturally, going to make you a major concern for us all."

Arthur's head didn't rise. "Why? I've never been a concern for anyone before."

No one got a chance to answer, as Arthur burst into tears.


	22. Chapter 22

Arthur was of the opinion that attempting suicide was less embarrassing than crying. Quite possibly that wasn't entirely true, but he felt it at the time. They had given up on dinner and Arthur was carefully settled on a sofa in the drawing room, close to the fire.

"Here." Uther offered him a glass of something, after a sniff and a sip Arthur identified it as brandy. The rest of them had retreated and gone to bed. Arthur didn't think many of them would actually sleep. In Merlin and Gwaine's case they had something else to do.

For the moment Uther had the vigil with Arthur. Gwen had been first, after the frantic attack of tears, and then Merlin. But neither of them had drawn him into talking. He couldn't talk about it, about his mother. Neither of them had known her. Arthur glanced up and looked at his father. He had known her, he had loved her, and married her. Uther sat down, giving Arthur enough space to keep him settled and then put the picture that Arthur had bought down on the table.

"What was this about?"

Arthur shook his head. "I don't know, I just recognised it, or at least, it looks familiar. I have no idea why though."

"It could be any number of things, now your mind is opening to the possibility of your destiny, then revelations will happen. From the look of that background I would say it is the nearby lake. The area is remote. When I say nearby, there is a twenty mile walk to get to it."

"Is there an island with a castle on it?"

"No, at least there isn't now."

"You think there might have been once?"

Uther swirled the brandy around the glass he held, watching as it glittered in the fire light. "It may still be there, but not everyone can see it."

"Yet another of those magic things breaking through," Arthur said, swigging his drink. He put the glass down on the table. Without comment Uther leant forward and poured more into his glass, from the open bottle that sat on the table. Arthur watched as Uther poured a more than generous measure.

"Are you trying to get me drunk enough to pass out?"

"Will it work?" Uther asked. Arthur gave a snort of laughter.

"I've never had enough money to be able to get drunk, so I can't tell you." Arthur rubbed the bridge of his nose with the heel of his hand. "I'm thinking the answer might be yes though."

"I doubt, however, it will do you much good to turn you into an alcoholic."

"This is such a mess," Arthur said. "Multiple car crashes look nicer than this, and that is saying something."

"Is it?"

Arthur brought his hands away from his fact, sitting forward and reaching for his glass.

"I saw one once. It was about five years ago, there was a huge pile up just on the roundabout as you pass the hotel. There were about eight cars caught up. I was walking down the road and saw the whole thing happen. As far as I could see there wasn't even a reason for it, one car just hit another and that all skidded into the road and it seemed like it wouldn't stop.

"I knew enough about first aid, and stuff. Some of it was so awful, I pulled out who I could, it was chaos, and I felt like I was helping, until I had to give my name and address. Some of the officers knew me and didn't seem to think that I had helped."

"Arthur, you did help, if you got some of them clear of the sight and helped them."

"They made them all go for blood tests, just in case, they said it was procedure, but it was because I touched them as well."

"That is their problem not yours."

"You're being very pragmatic all of a sudden," Arthur said.

"And the definition of that word is?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean if you are going to use those words, at least make sure you understand them, use your mind; what you understand, you may have to explain, what do you think is the definition of pragmatic?"

"Sort of casual, letting things happen and dealing with those things, not making things into something they are not. Is that anywhere close?"

Uther smiled. "It means 'dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations'. I had so many theoretical ways to deal with you, so many ideas of what you would be like for all the years I looked for you. You would never fit the ideal, I knew that, I thought there might be something, but you don't fit, I can't define you, and you don't let me push you into any pigeon hole."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I know I didn't like it. I didn't think I could ever deal with it, some of it I can't. That you let people use you, and I know you think you didn't have a choice, but you did what you had to. It stirs my stomach."

Arthur clenched his jaw, he knew what Uther though of him.

"But when you really think about it," Uther added. "What you are, really, is nothing short of magnificent."

"What?" Arthur asked.

Uther wasn't looking at him, his eyes were fixed on the drink in his hand. He wasn't talking to Arthur, not directly. He couldn't do that. But he could say what he wanted to say, in that theoretical way. Uther was talking to himself, he treated Arthur as if he was not in the room, but he still wanted to talk to him.

"Theoretically you're a mess; practically you are everything we need. Maybe your mother did everything she needed to."

"I think that might be the one and only compliment I am ever going to get from you. And I know the definition of 'backhanded' before you ask."

"Yes."

"And my definition of pragmatic was similar to yours," Arthur informed him and swallowed his drink.

"Yes, it was," Uther said topping up the glass. "We have to talk about your mother."

"Yes."

"If it's any consolation, I do not wish to do so either. I hold things of hers that are just mine, if I talk to you, I have to give them away."

"It's not that," Arthur said, his eyes watering. There was no point checking it. "I just don't understand any more. I saw what happened to her, I watched it. I remember that day, when I walked in from going to get an ice cream and I just wondered where my mother had gone. I didn't wonder after that, I just accepted the funeral and the home and my anger."

"I'm sorry, if I had known, if your mother had called for me, I would have come. I couldn't find you, and that appeared to be the way she wanted it."

"Why? I don't understand, why?"

"She must have thought you would be safer that way. Can I ask something?"

Arthur looked up and shrugged. "I guess."

"I think everyone noticed it, you called me dad."

Arthur shrugged again, giving a wry smile. "I think that's the pragmatic thing again. It's not going to change it is. You are my dad, what else am I supposed to call you?"

"Nothing, if you're happy with it."

"I don't know what I am. Within nothing more than a few days my entire life has been turned upside down, surely that would mean it made less sense, but everything seems to be coming together."

"Arthur, did your mother say anything to you. Even the faintest glimpse."

He shook his head. "Not a thing. I've spent these last few days racking my brain, and nothing. Did you use magic to conceive me?"

"Nothing else worked," Uther said. "So yes, and Sigan was entirely right, I would not be above ritual murder to protect your mother. A life should be given in return."

"You'd kill someone?"

"You tried to kill yourself," Uther stated flatly. "I could find someone, there are quite a few people in this world that deserve to die."

Arthur sat back on the couch, bringing his feet up onto the edge and he wrapped his arms around himself, hugging his legs close to his chest.

"Fair enough, but mum didn't give you a chance," Arthur said, hugging himself tighter.

"Are you all right talking about this?" Uther asked, looking his incredibly tense son up and down. Arthur shook his head.

"No, but we have to, and at least you know her and… would she really have done that to me, sending my soul into the void."

"No, because she didn't. She didn't give you any reason to think that she didn't love you."

"No."

"Well then. Maybe she just got frightened, and she convinced herself that was the only way. Once she had put it into motion maybe she thought she couldn't talk to me. It gets frightening sometimes, all these things happening around us. I'm not the easiest person to speak to, I'm aware of that."

"Good to know," Arthur observed. "So he was right, my soul is tainted."

"If the reports we have are anything to go by, Sigan was a nasty piece of work. From his point of view an innocent soul would be tainted."

"That's not what he meant. Is that why my life has been so shit?"

"You can go around blaming everything else for circumstances, but everyone has choices. Yours were very limited, I'm not denying that. I think it was a choice of bend or break."

"And which one happened? Because I don't know."

"You've survived this far Arthur, and you might not feel very intact but you certainly proved your mettle today."

Arthur turned to look at him, frowning. Uther saw the confusion and decided to clarify.

"They looked to you for an answer, and you gave them one. You were the one that dictated the attack plan, told them what to do and they did exactly as you wanted, but still went out of their way to protect you."

"I guess."

"You chose what to do, and every one of them followed your orders. They didn't even think about it, neither did you."

"I suppose, it just felt, right. I knew what I was doing, I know what I'm doing, most of the time I think I know, this time, everyone listened to me."

"Which is good, they trusted you, and you proved them right."

"Oh yeah, I was great during the get away."

"Okay, so you're not perfect, but none of them are going to forget that you are still vulnerable and new to what is happening. Most of them have killed before now, it changes your perception. You might have done it callously at the time, but it does affect you."

"Even Merlin?"

"Yes, Merlin's been forced to act on occasion. It's hard for him. Gwaine put him under careful watch for over a week, going up to two, I think for the first time. Merlin has been forced to make that decision. It didn't come lightly for him."

"Okay, so I did all right today, and I guess I'm coping all right but we're avoiding the subject."

"Not entirely. Your mother had an influence on what you are, even through your time on the streets she left you with an instinct to fight."

"You reckon?"

"She didn't take cancer lying down, she fought her way to the bitter end, and you don't think you have picked that up. You'll keep going whatever happens."

"Despite the suicide dive?"

"You called out, at the end, and Merlin picked it up. I'm sorry, that was my fault, I caused it, and I know that. Son, I don't want you to think that you have to resort to things like that."

"I know, I'm sorry and I'm embarrassed. Mum would be furious with me. She didn't approve of giving in, she said it was something that she had learnt. It was wrong to not even try."

"Did she?"

"Like she really meant it. When she died… it was…" Arthur paused and shrugged.

Uther waited a moment, just to see if Arthur would expand on it. Uther could see Arthur fighting. Over time the inclination to admit his feelings had gone and he couldn't be blamed for it.

"It felt like she had betrayed me. She put all that effort into it and still she left. I couldn't believe it, I almost still don't."

Arthur felt Uther brush his fingertips over his hair before retreating.

"Did she give you any hint of what might have really been happening? Or tell you anything that she really wanted you to remember?"

"No, nothing. I was just a kid whose mother was dying. She never said anything, the people at the hospital never said anything. Do you think I haven't gone over this, since you dragged me out here? I haven't stopped thinking about it. Although I don't want to think what I might have done to her."

"You didn't do anything."

Arthur snorted in irritation. "For me to even be here she had to put her life at risk. Did she know about the affects of the spell? She clearly knew enough, but did you tell her?"

"I phrased it very carefully."

"And either she worked it out for herself or someone told her. Sigan said a name, Nimueh?"

"A sorceress who helped with the ritual."

"Could we find her?" Arthur said, his stomach went cold as Uther's jaw tightened and he could answer the question himself. "She's dead, you killed her."

"Yes, which if nothing else made me believe that your mother would be safe. That the spell would not touch her."

"Maybe it didn't," Arthur said. "He mentioned about sending my soul into the void, presumably that had a price as well, which wasn't paid by me. I really don't think I want to be thinking about that. Could that be what the cancer was, could her own soul have gone into the void, and what the hell is the void anyway? It's not hell is it?"

"No, not in the whole Christian sense, returning a soul means death, as simple as that, especially for a soul that hadn't been born yet. Your life would simply have flickered out."

"But could it be that, like a punishment. It sounds like these people might want to get their hands on my soul, if I'm this Once And Future King."

"And if Igraine deflected the spell, then it could have latched onto her. I'm not denying that might be true."

"Could she have known?"

"She had a decent enough knowledge of magic, but I'm not sure. If her intention was to protect you, then it might be why she didn't tell me the truth, and hid herself instead."

"And Sigan said my soul was tainted," Arthur repeated. "Maybe they still thought that they could get me somehow. The more I learn, the less sense it makes. How are we supposed to make all this balance, and control magic. People want me dead, they want me alive, they want my soul in the void."

"You're the bridge," Uther suddenly said.

"And now I'm something people cross to get over rivers," Arthur mused causing Uther to smile.

"Sort of, maybe sending your soul to the void had nothing to do with trying to snuff out your life."

"I sound like a candle now."

"Stop being so facetious," Uther ordered him, smiling as he did so. "But if magic needs to return from the void it was pushed into, then maybe it doesn't matter which side you are on. It's an inevitability that magic is returning, it is probably down to who controls the magic within you."

"In the void it would be something else, here it's you."

Uther shrugged. "More likely you, and even more likely, Merlin."

"And if neither side had any control over me, what would happen then. My mother hid me for a reason, did she think she could stop it from happening. And how are the serkets and things appearing then, and Merlin still has magic, Morgana has as well. I suppose you sort of imagine a void to be a nice long distance away."

"And you think it isn't?"

"If you're a void, where would you be? Maybe it's here, right here. Not exactly in his room but trapped here, in this dimension, or whatever you want to call it."

"The small pockets of power have always been there, but you're right, there could be an entire layer to this world that no one can see, just underneath what is truly visible."

"If they are rubbing together they are bound to wear thin in places. My socks are always doing that," Arthur said. "So we need to find a place where it's worn through."

Uther leant forward and picked up the picture, looking at the castle shrouded in mist, and the lake that surrounded it.

"I'm not inclined to believe in co-incidences, but it's interesting that this appeared just before the gargoyles attacked."

"Grotesques," Arthur corrected automatically. "Someone, something, left the hint, they want us there. The only question is who."

"Nothing is clear, you could reason that the attack happened to prevent you from paying too much attention to it, or on the flip side maybe they were trying to draw your attention."

Arthur chewed his lower lip, reaching out to take the picture, looking at it, trying to remember what he was thinking, and feeling, when he had seen it. Why had he thought to look through the rack of pictures in the first place?

"Maybe it wasn't anything. That Sigan guy set that up over a century ago. If we look hard enough, we can probably find him in all the old literature. And I said as I stood outside that building it was like they were staring. They were staring at me. If you think about it, they knew I was coming. Someone else could have used that. I might never have found it but…" Arthur tailed off, looking at the picture, wondering what could possibly make it important. Uther shrugged.

"In which case, I guess we are hiking tomorrow."


	23. Chapter 23

They had packed the vehicles, driven off and on arrival unloaded them in silence. Arthur spent the morning oddly touchy, rejecting anyone's attempts to talk. He had also engineered it so he was not in the same car as Uther. He had flinched away from him all morning, almost not wanting to acknowledge the vague, clearly tenuous, truce of last night. Uther watched him and realised the only way to handle Arthur was to retreat. It pained him to do it, but Arthur would come to him, when he was ready. Uther thought that it was almost a test, to see how far he would push.

He didn't push at all. The easiest thing seemed to be to leave Arthur alone, and he did so. Arthur gave him the odd glance, as if he was trying to work out Uther's reaction but if he caught his eye Arthur gave him a vague smile, if he didn't then he didn't even look at him. Arthur wasn't angry with Uther, he just wanted to work out what happened last night, their first civilised conversation seemed to have achieved something, and Arthur didn't want to mess about with it. Neither, it seemed, did Uther. So they ended up not talking, but clearly understanding each other.

The others in the group watched with bafflement, but little concern. Both Arthur and Uther seemed fine. Arthur stayed still as Lancelot helped to settle his backpack.

"How's that?" Lancelot asked.

"Fine," Arthur replied shrugging his shoulders a little to get comfortable. "It's doesn't even feel all that heavy."

"I'm sure you won't be saying that after five miles of walking," Percival said while hauling his own backpack onto his shoulders, making it look entirely effortless. Arthur frowned as he looked at the sword strapped to the side of the pack.

"Are you sure you'll need that?"

"As much as guns can be useful, there are a few creatures we know of that can only be killed by forged weapons, which means swords, daggers, spears; things like that," Lancelot said.

"Oh," Arthur said. His hand strayed to the gun that fit snugly into his belt. Lancelot rummaged in the back of the jeep and pulled out a dagger, the blade about twelve inches in length. He slid it, in it's scabbard, into the strap on the side of Arthur's backpack, tightening it up in such at way that made Arthur think that was the strap's very purpose.

"I don't honestly think you are proficient enough to carry a sword, but there are enough of us who are. If anything gets so close that you need to use the knife, it will be a dire circumstance."

"Cheery thought," Gwaine said brightly.

"I can look after Arthur as well," Merlin announced.

No one contested that comment, Arthur guessed it had to do with Merlin's powers, which were, as was becoming obvious, for the purpose of helping him. Although Merlin had his own part in what was going on, Arthur assumed, judging by the way Merlin behaved, it quite clearly seemed to revolve around himself.

"Separating is not an entirely good idea, although we might be conspicuous as a large group," Uther announced. He had spread a map out on the bonnet of one of the jeeps studying it carefully.

"We may see a few people," Leon said. "But I don't think they would question it too much."

"We could pretend to be a group of employees on a team building day," Gwaine suggested, frowning as everyone turned to look at him. "Or, not, as the case may be."

"I was planning to suggest," Uther said slowly, talking as if they were all idiots, "that we perhaps stay off the pathways. Enough of us are well trained that we will not get lost, and anything that comes at us, we may well not want other people around us."

"Do I really want to ask what might come at us?" Arthur asked. Uther glanced at him.

"Possibly not."

"Big scorpions?" Gwaine suggested.

"Not again thank you," Arthur said, then he frowned and looked around. "Wasn't that a bit co-incidental that I encountered three of them? They can't have just happened to have been there, surely?"

Merlin frowned. "Possibly not, the spell I used is a protection spell, but it hadn't fully formed. You were technically doused in magic, and it would be seeping from you. That could have simply drawn them in like a magnet."

"Thanks for that," Arthur said to him.

"It wouldn't have happened if you hadn't run off," Morgana informed him curtly.

"Nor would those blokes," Arthur added. Then he blinked and warily turned his head in Uther's direction. His father's eyes widened at the comment and then had slowly narrowed as he stared at Arthur. For his part Arthur felt the heat run up his face as he blushed. His father had known nothing about that, none of them had, only Gaius and Merlin knew for certain and would not have told anyone unless necessary. Gwaine could have easily made an educated guess.

"If we head west and then up through the ravine along the side there," Leon said, looking intently at the map and pointing to draw everyone's attention away from Arthur. "That will bring us out by the edge of the lake, it's quite a sheltered spot, we could make camp there if we want to stay overnight."

"Avoiding the trails means it will be harder going, let's start off. Do we have all the equipment?" Uther asked.

There came several murmured words of agreement and Lancelot carefully checked that the vehicle doors were locked. Merlin raised his hand and whispered something, his eyes glowing for a moment. Arthur frowned, fairly certain that he saw something ripple over the jeeps. Although he could probably assume that was nothing more than a trick of the light, he didn't actually think that was what he saw. Merlin grinned at him and headed off to catch up with Gwaine, who took Merlin's hand as he caught up with him. Arthur shrugged his pack a little and headed off, tensing but feeling unsurprised as Uther fell into step beside him. Arthur didn't dare look at him, out of the corner of his eye he realised Uther had the same idea, as he looked around, carefully examining the scenery.

"I'm not going to ask," Uther informed him.

"Okay," Arthur said uncertainly.

"I get the feeling it's something I don't want to know."

"All things considered, probably you don't. I'm fine though."

"You're always fine Arthur, you say that and then…"

"It's not a problem, I'm not going to be an idiot again."

"It's not that, not entirely. They didn't all see the information that we found as Monmouth's house. I saw some of the other medical records."

"It's fine. I'm not going to do that either."

"Can you blame me for feeling concerned?"

Arthur grimaced, feeling a little caught out. "No, I can't." He risked a glance in his father's direction. That appeared to be the end of the conversation as Uther eased his way further up the trail.

"Leon," he called to get the other's man's attention. Leon turned, having taken the lead, holding the map as he carefully negotiated his way through the forest. "We may want to avoid that ridge, east is usually the easiest way isn't it."

"Yes, but the recent rain might make that tricky going. There is another route, if we track up almost to the ridge and then turn at the cave."

Uther caught up, and the pair of them walked side by side, Leon folding the map to find the relevant section. Arthur watched them, feeling almost slightly put out by the fact his father wasn't pushing the issue.

"Are you all right?" Merlin asked released his hand from Gwaine's and falling into step with Arthur.

"I don't get him."

Merlin followed Arthur's gaze and looked at Uther.

"Which bit?" Merlin asked.

"So you don't either?" Arthur said.

"Not all the time," Merlin said. "He took me in when my mother died, but he didn't exactly fudge around the reason why. He knew I was important, but I know he cares about me. And he included Gwaine, who really does care about me and not just all this. I think Uther knew that he couldn't always give everything that I wanted, so he allowed Gwaine in, who wanted to do that. It wasn't just because he saw me as the guider of the Once and Future King. I think he also didn't want to invest himself. He was saving himself for you."

"I think I disappointed him a little."

"Maybe; but no one can live up to an ideal. Even your mother can't, however much you both want her to. It's easy though."

"What is?"

"For someone who is dead to live up to a perfect ideal. You forget all the horrible things that happened, you just consider all the times it was nice and they were what you wanted."

"There's something wrong with me then."

Merlin turned to look at him, stumbling over a tree root.

"Why?" he eventually asked, after Gwaine had taken one arm and Arthur grabbed the other to help Merlin stay upright. Arthur waited for Gwaine to go away again. He did so quite willingly, looking as if he knew he couldn't stop what was going on between them, but accepted that it had no baring on his relationship with Merlin. If nothing else, Arthur did not want a relationship, he certainly didn't want anything physical and Merlin had just been kind and open with him. Arthur tentative emotional feelers had started to search out and find that. Gwaine remaining undemanding helped as much as Merlin's kindness, so Arthur answered.

"All I remember, the clearest thing is that time, walking into the ward after one of the nurses had taken me out to get an ice cream. I wondered what the hell had happened to my mother. There was just this bald, skinny, thing, in her place. I knew it was her and I knew she loved me but I wondered, after she had died, why she had done it to me. I don't remember good things. Well..." Arthur paused and huffed. "I do remember them, but that is the one thing that mattered. That one bad reality check."

"And you're blaming it on him, Uther."

"No, I don't think I am. I can do this whole raging thing about how it's all his fault and that he drove her away and he was awful to her and so many other excuses. But that's not the reality is it?"

Arthur paused, looking down at his feet for a moment, well clad in the hiking boots that his father had bought. He had bought them because Arthur needed them. Even if Arthur rejected him as a father he would never stop providing. For everything.

"No, he loved your mother. He loved you, even though he had never laid eyes on you."

"He imagined what I was like though."

"Of course."

"I am so not what he expected."

"That does not mean he is disappointed in you. I think he likes you, he certainly respects you."

Arthur blinked, although he couldn't really argue with Merlin. Uther did seem to want to take his thoughts and feelings into consideration. Not only that he also appeared to listen to what Arthur said. It didn't really equate with the man that he had first met, in that cold, derelict building. Then again, Arthur knew what he had seemed like as he had been regarded by them, during those first few painful days. Arthur didn't even want to think how low he had seemed, yet he certainly had not given in to them, he grinned at the memory of whacking Gwaine around the head with a soap filled sock.

"What?" Merlin asked.

Arthur tried to stop grinning and shook his head. "Nothing. It's nothing."

Still Arthur grinned and Merlin looked at him in confusion. Arthur carried on walking, shifting the pack around so it settled better on his shoulders, and he thought that Percival would be right after a few miles. Arthur would hate his boots and his rucksack.

"How long will this take anyway?" Arthur asked.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

By mid-afternoon Arthur hated his boots and rucksack.

"I hate this, I hate everything," Arthur groaned. The skin on his shoulders hurt from the straps rubbing, his back ached from carrying the weight, his feet hurt in his new boots and his legs ached.

"Is it that bad?" Gwaine asked.

"I can probably find places that I didn't even know were there to complain about, and I've done weird shit with mine and other people's bodies."

"Like what?" Gwaine asked.

"This one guy really liked me kicking and kneeing him in the legs, and hour or so of that made me ache."

"Sir, we are not going to get to the lake today, maybe we should set up camp now, and get some rest," Leon said to Uther.

"In other words, shut up?" Arthur asked and got the satisfaction as Leon blushed. He glanced at Uther and then looked down.

"Sorry," Arthur said. "That was a bit rude."

"Yes, it was," Merlin said. "But Leon is right, we're not even close. Maybe making camp and getting there tomorrow is logical. If we are better rested then we are better equip to deal with what might come at us."

"You really think something might?" Arthur asked.

"You are the Once And Future King, you glow with magic, it will attract and detract."

"Nice," Arthur said.

"I need a good strong boundary Merlin," Uther said.

"I'm on it."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Why am I the Once and Future King?" Arthur said during a short pause in conversation. "It's a weird title."

"The legend states that at the battle of Camlann King Arthur was mortally wounded, after the battle he was taken to Avalon, where he was protected by the priestesses that lived there. All of them were strong in the ways of magic. From that it was predicted that Arthur would return. Hence the name," Morgana said.

"So, I'm not the Once part of it, I'm the Future."

"Yes," Morgana said. "It's been tried before and many of the stories state that Arthur's official enemies cannot exist without him."

"Like you?"

"Yes," Morgana said. "There are many tales about the alleged sister of Arthur. There is another sister as well apparently and so many merged relationships and names that it is hard to work out, for this time. But you read some of the stories and realise that they were not really enemies, they just didn't see things the same way."

"So we might not even need to fight, this might just be a need to control," Arthur said. "Possibly, hopefully, maybe not."

"We'll see," Uther said. "Considering the way things are in this time, I don't think we can expect anything gentle."

"I hardly think it was gentle in medieval times. I read all that information and it sounded rough," Arthur said. "Slogging around in armour all day and most people dying before they were forty."

"Very cheery," Gwaine said brightly. "They had probably lost most of their teeth by then, dying of... consumption or whatever it was they had in those days."

"And that apparently got linked with vampirism," Merlin said.

"What?!" Arthur asked.

"If one family member died and then other started to slowly decline it was assumed it was from the original person draining their life force. They used to think some really weird things."

"You just spend too much time looking up rubbish on the internet," Gwaine informed him, nudging his shoulder against Merlin's.

"What else is the internet for?" Merlin asked, all fake wide eyed innocence and a cheeky grin. Arthur smiled, watching them, but Gwaine never got to answer. They all turned at the sound of something shrieking in the woods. Arthur swallowed heavily and scanned the darkness beyond the campfire. He couldn't see anything, not even make out the trees from some angles. There was nothing but blackness.

"What was that?"

"A pheasant," Gwaine said. Arthur turned and glared at him.

"A pheasant?"

"A great big one," Gwaine informed him.

"It doesn't sound like a pheasant."

"Have you ever heard a pheasant before?" Gwaine asked him. Arthur frowned.

"Not really."

"Then how do you know it isn't a pheasant?"

"It sounded nothing like any sort of bird," Arthur said, he glanced at Uther, frowning at him. "Does it?"

"No, it does not," Uther said.

"So why say it's a pheasant?" Arthur demanded of Gwaine. Gwaine responded by drawing his sword from his pack and resting it against the log he sat on, propping it close by. Gwaine's eyes roamed over the dark woods.

"I'm not scared of pheasants."

"Oh," Arthur responded and grimaced as the noises happened again, louder, and busier.

"That sounded like three pheasants," Leon announced.

"At least," Gwaine agreed.

"I've got a boundary up, I'll know if anything passes it. I doubt they'll come near the fire anyway," Merlin announced.

"And what is they?" Arthur asked.

"Pheasants," Merlin said.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Merlin ended up being right, nothing came close to the camp, but the sounds echoed around them all night. Arthur managed to get some sleep, the group sleeping in rotation just in case. When Arthur's turn had come up he didn't feel surprised that Uther took watch with him. They didn't really bother to talk, aware of the people sleeping around them, but the silence felt comfortable enough. It occurred to Arthur he got on quite well with his father when they didn't talk to each other.

They hurried through breakfast and Arthur wandered away to relive himself. He peed into a bush and then froze as he felt a surge of warm air by his ankle. Every part of his body froze, except his urinary tract which merrily continued on it's way. Arthur turned his head and looked down at a pair of nostrils sniffing his foot. They belonged to a sleek dark head, from the top of which protruded a pair of curled horns.

Arthur's eyes widened, the trickle of urine slowing down as his bladder emptied. The nostrils diverted their attention to the puddle, flaring and as the beast exhaled it snorted, the sound low, almost turning into a growl. Very slowly Arthur backed up, sorting his groin and trousers as he did so. As much as he could cope with embarrassing situations he was not about to have the rest of them find him like that. The beast's head turned, the gaze locking onto him. It took another deep inhale, nose lowering to the ground as it followed his scent. Easing it's way through the bushes it parted the branches with thickset shoulders and a pair of large grey wings. The beast gave a snarl, revealing sharp teeth. Arthur grimaced, backing up slowly and debating his options.

Running was probably a very bad idea, he got the feeling it would give chase, and eyeing it carefully Arthur decided it would be quicker than him. It snarled again.

"Nice... thing... creature... whatever," Arthur said in a placating tone. Taking another step back he slowly moved his hand around to the small of his back, where he had, by sheer luck, a gun tucked in his belt. He eased it out, wincing as he was forced to tug and his elbow jerked. The sharp move caught the beast's eyes.

"Okay, it's fine..." Arthur said and then dived to the side. As he anticipated the beast jumped and hit the tree head first as Arthur dodged behind it. The thing roared in anger and Arthur raised the gun, sighting carefully, focusing on one of the creature's eyes. He didn't get a chance to fire as Merlin suddenly appeared and the beast turned on him. Arthur re-aimed trying to find something as vulnerable as the eye. Merlin didn't look frightened as he glowered at the snarling, hissing creature, instead he shouted at it. Arthur blinked as Merlin's voice deepened, speaking in a language that he couldn't follow. A moment later the creature lowered it's head and dropped onto it's rump, giving a low, docile huff. Arthur looked at it in surprise and then turned his gaze to Merlin, who eyed him smugly.

"Did you just tell that thing to sit?!"

"Among other things."

"What is it anyway?"

Merlin shrugged and grinned. "A pheasant."


	24. Chapter 24

"Actually it's a wyvern," Merlin said as the now calm creature followed them back to camp.

"Oh, and you can control them. You didn't do that with the serkets."

"No, I did read somewhere that wyverns are a distant cousin to the dragon. We have some information on them, and dragons. They can be controlled, and I sort of know some of the commands."

"You sort of know?! So you had no idea if that would actually work?" Arthur said, he turned his head to look at Merlin in shock. Merlin grimaced a little.

"Well, you had the gun but I would have had enough time for a follow up spell."

"Like what?" Arthur asked. "You set fire to one of the serkets."

"Actually, you see that log there?" Merlin said. He pointed to a section of tree about six foot in length, and half a metre or so in diameter. It looked to Arthur to be part of the remains of a fallen tree, it had rotted a little but still looked sturdy enough.

"Yeah," he said. Just in time he saw the flash in Merlin's eyes and the section of tree flew backwards into the air, slamming hard into sturdy oak and the partially rotten log smashed into two pieces, splinters flicking off in all directions. Arthur flinched back at the impact and his eyes widened.

"Wow!" he said.

"Always a good one to have in reserve, and that one is instinctive, although I do have to make an effort to control it, otherwise not much would survive around me when I got mad."

Arthur blinked, looking at Merlin in surprise. Then he glanced back at the shattered wood, which the wyvern had wandered over to, sniffing curiously, it's head rearing back after a moment, and it lifted it's nose to the air, turning it's head at the sound of footsteps.

Lancelot and Leon ran into view pausing as they saw Merlin and Arthur, then both of them glanced at the wyvern, who gave a light snarl. Merlin turned and said something to the beast and it docilely lowered it's head again, slinking to Arthur's side.

"We heard a crash."

"Me," Merlin said pointing at the log as the others came into view. Arthur tried to shuffle away from the wyvern as it sniffed his ankle again. It glanced up and gave a disgruntled murmur, lowering it's body and waiting. Lancelot stared at it.

"What's happened?"

"Arthur's made a friend," Merlin said with a grin.

Arthur huffed. "Well, that makes a bloody change."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"You said it was sniffing you?" Gwaine asked. Arthur glared at him, feeling a dull flush run up his face and he concentrated on filling his rucksack.

"I was having a piss when it interrupted me. It sniffed the puddle then followed me."

Gwaine smirked.

"I wasn't sure if it saw me as a threat, as breakfast or... as a mate!"

Gwaine giggled. "I have such a mental image now. Thanks for that Arthur." He frowned a moment. "Actually no, really, no... Merlin!"

Expertly Merlin dodged around the camp to evade his boyfriend. The wyvern raised it's head to watch the people darting about with great interest but it didn't move. In the end though it stretched it's neck out to try and reach Arthur to sniff him again. Arthur stepped back and the wyvern stretched it's neck to follow him. It gave a low growl, not sounding aggressive but it didn't seem entirely friendly either. The wyvern stared up at him, but as Merlin turned and snapped a command at it the wyvern stayed sitting, giving a moan of discontent. After that it continued to flare it's nostrils in Arthur's direction.

"It really seems to like you," Leon said.

"Or not, as the case may be," Percival countered. "Although, wyvern's are creatures of magic, perhaps it's sensing something from Arthur."

"I am the Once and Future King."

"True, but I don't think anyone sent it to attack you. Even before I got it under control it seemed more fascinated than aggressive," Merlin said, finally losing Gwaine in the chase. Merlin moved closer and murmured at it. The wyvern lifted it's head, snorting and giving a growl, although again, there didn't sound to be much aggression in the tone.

"What does that mean?"

"That it can't talk," Merlin said with a shrug.

"Okay, does it know sign language?" Arthur asked. Merlin glanced up at him.

"Don't be silly."

"And it talking is not?" Arthur asked.

"No, although it can understand me."

"What do we do with it?" Morgana asked. "I don't think we can keep it."

"Why not?" Gwaine asked as he stalked Merlin again. Merlin glared at him and Gwaine paused raising his hands.

"Is it housetrained?" Percival asked.

Morgana raised her eyebrows. "Seriously? You ask that?"

Percival blinked. "Well, yes. Arthur said he wasn't entirely sure that it was attacking him, it sounded like it was sniffing him out."

"Like a magical bloodhound?" Leon mused. "But why?"

Everyone looked confused, staring at each other and then at Arthur, Merlin and the wyvern. Merlin frowned and said something else to the wyvern. It snorted at him but appeared to obey the command, it turned to lumber into the forest and then after a while it paused, it's head tilting to the side and it shuffled round, it's tail brushing a sapling. The tiny tree bent with the pressure and snapped back up as the tail passed over it. The swift movement caused the wyvern to shuffle sideways, snarling at the innocent tree, but then it came back down the path and stopped, sitting back on it's rump again, settling down six feet away from Arthur.

"What did you tell it to do?" Arthur asked.

"To go back to where it came from."

"So why is it sitting next to me then?"

"No clue."

"Shall we just carry on," Morgana said. "We are staying off the main paths so we don't need to worry about Arthur's new friend,"

Morgana smirked as Arthur glared at her.

"But, the thing doesn't seem to be a danger, and apparently Merlin seems to be able to keep it to heel and let's face it, if anything else turns up it might actually help us out."

"Are you saying we can keep it as an attack wyvern?" Gwen said. Morgana shrugged.

"We are heading somewhere on a hunch of Arthur's and we have no idea what might face. This is the first thing and we still have half a day's worth of travelling before we reach the point we want to get to."

"This one seems on our side though, so maybe what else we meet might be the same," Leon said.

"Or something will stop us getting there," Lancelot mused.

"We have to bear in mind that this thing could be part of that, however docile it seems," Uther said.

"Well, debating it is getting us nowhere," Arthur said closing the drawstring of his rucksack and snapping the clasps together. "Give me a hand with this Percival."

Raising his eyebrows Percival did as he was told, lifting the rucksack to allow Arthur to slide his arms through the straps and settle it on his back.

"We might as well just head on and deal with things as we find them. How long do you really think it will take us to get there?"

Morgana and Leon shuffled the maps, compass and GPS device around.

"If we make good time about three to four hours," Morgana said. "We are taking a longer route to avoid the main trails and we could make it quicker heading that way."

"There is a main pathway there, and it's exposed along that section. We wouldn't be safe walking down there if we have the wyvern. This section of trail is shorter so we can use that to intersect here and head deeper into the woods."

"That will be longer, Leon, over well five hours."

"So we'll make it by early afternoon at the latest. That gives us some time to have a look around," Arthur said.

"Sunset occurs at 6:37 tonight, so yes," Leon said.

"Let's just go and get on with it then," Arthur said shrugging and then wincing as the straps rubbed against his shoulders. "Ow."

As Arthur turned the wyvern got to it's feet and trotted off down the path it had already forged. Arthur turned and looked at Leon and Morgana.

"It's heading the right way isn't it?"

"Yes, it's it."

Arthur trudged after it, slipping on some wet leaves as he did so and grunting as the straps rubbed again.

"Let's just keep an eye on it though, just to make sure it keeps doing that."

"Yes Sire," Leon said, with some sarcasm, and then blinked in surprise as he found that didn't seem an entirely strange thing to say.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Wow," Arthur said, forgetting his sore feet and shoulders, as he looked down at the island that wasn't entirely an island. From the other direction it probably did, the water surrounding it on three sides; but they had taken the less travelled route.

"That kind of ruins the romance," Gwaine said as beyond the lake several large trucks trundled to and fro along the road that curved around the

water's edge.

"A little," Gwen said. "What is this place?"

"Those who know the legend call it Avalon. It was where Arthur's body was laid to rest after the battle of Camlann," Uther said.

"But I'm now stood here, kind of. Presumably what we need is here. Boris seems to think so."

The wyvern raised it's head and grunted before heading down the pathway.

"Boris?" Percival asked.

Arthur shrugged. "It's a name, I am not going to keep calling it 'it'. Boris will do."

With that said Arthur resolutely started down the slope. The incline deepened as he moved down, so he gripped onto the nearby trees and wedged his feet against roots and rocks as he slithered down jerking slightly as the weight of his backpack shifted. Behind him he heard the rest of them making their way down until they reached a flat area, below which the forest spread out, the thick canopy shielding the depths of the forest with shadows.

Once they had all paused and looked around, staring at the long stretch of ragged rock that led to the island.

"It's not quite how it looks in the picture," Arthur said he fished into his pocket an pulled out a piece of paper. Gaius had carefully scanned and printed out a copy of the small watercolour that Arthur had bought, which presumably now, was meant to be this island.

Gwaine sniggered. "Never is."

"Let's not be rash," Uther said. "Spread out and search through the surrounding area, and see if there is anything else. Percival, Leon and Morgana take to the higher ground. Gwen, Lancelot make a base here until we can report something more. I cannot allow you to walk anywhere close to danger, you are not trained," he added forcefully to Gwen.

"Arthur, Myself, Gwaine and Merlin will head lower and scout the bank and causeway. Boris too I presume."

"I guess," Arthur said as Boris grunted. Then Arthur glanced at a tight-lipped Gwen. "Dad's right, you shouldn't come, I don't want you in danger."

"Aren't I just by being here?" Gwen snapped.

"No need to provoke destiny if you don't have to. Lancelot will look after you, just stay here, please." Arthur took her hand and held on hard. "Please."

"Okay, okay, it's fine. I'm the housekeeper so I might as well set up."

"It's not why I asked you to, Gwen," Arthur said to her tense filled back. he turned away and plodded off down the slope, stalking off with the rest of them rushing to catch up. The three ordered onto the high ground went upwards and Gwen dumped her pack and started to yank things out of it.

"He's not doing it to exclude you. They get to move around, we are sitting ducks."

"Lancelot, how is that going to make me feel better?"

"It's not, do we need firewood?"

"Yes, don't go far."

"Right, no I won't."

"Stop bickering," Arthur announced as he went down the hill and headed onto level ground. He trudged a few steps forward and then looked around. Boris headed down the slope easily, using his tails and wings for balance.

"That is annoying," he informed the wyvern. Boris paused and turned look at him, waiting patiently until Arthur slowly followed him. Uther touched Arthur's shoulder.

"Is your gun loaded?"

"Yes."

"Keep it to hand and stay with Merlin," Uther ordered. Arthur blinked as he watched his father pull his own gun, check it and then keeping that in his right hand make sure that the sword he carried was easily accessible by his left.

"Be careful," Uther added as he looked around. "Take the left flank."

"Arthur that's the right flank," Leon said as Arthur ambled off, Boris on his heels.

"I'm directionally dyslexic," Arthur informed him determinedly heading the way he wanted to go. Uther frowned at Merlin.

"Something's leading him."

"Merlin, stay with him, just keep him safe. If there is any danger then the three on the higher ground should see it coming."

"Don't worry," Merlin said, gold slivers slowly starting to flash in his eyes. "I'll look after him."

He went after Arthur and Boris fully intending to keep that promise. He jogged to catch up, causing Boris to turn and glance at him, but the wyvern only huffed and turned back, keeping level with Arthur as he walked along.

"What's over here Arthur?"

"This bit I think, just over there."

He pointed at the sheet of paper again, looking at the drawing that had somehow drawn him. When he had found the picture he had been fascinated by it, and it wasn't even that good. Gaius had criticised the picture, not only the technique that the artist had used but also the perspective. Nothing seemed to match and the shadows looked wrong. Once the physician had pointed it out, it had bugged Arthur, and was continuing to do so. He looked at what seemed to be part of the causeway, but in the picture had smooth clear lines, like a bridge. Arthur trudged around the lake, his feet slipping as the incline increased and he turned and looked down the stretch of causeway.

Glancing at the picture again he compared the two of them, staring at the shadows on the picture, peering it at intently. He looked up and around, frowning as he saw the slight dip, and short crevice, from where, he realised, he could clamber up onto the rocks. Tucking the picture back into his pocket again he stepped carefully, slipping a little as he worked his way down and then he scrambled up the rocky incline carefully planting his feet on the jutting sections of stone as he hoisted himself up.

Once he was up Arthur looked around, frowning as he realised neither Merlin nor Boris appeared to be behind him.

"Merlin!"

Arthur frowned when the only thing he heard was his own voice echoing into the forest. Merlin hadn't been that far behind him, and Arthur had been fairly certain that the wyvern had been sniffing at his heels. He almost started to step down the slope to head back the way he came when he turned, and looking around assessed the short length of causeway. Now he was on it, looking at it from an entirely different angle it looked more like it did in the picture. Arthur pulled the paper out of his pocket again and looked at it. He was no expert on art, but he stared at the oddities that Gaius had pointed out.

"It's like they painted the bits from all different angles and just put it together," he mused, then looking up and down again decided it would be easier to look for Merlin along the bank if he went a little way out onto the causeway.

Arthur carefully placed his feet as he walked along the uneven stone, tufts of grass jutting out in places, pausing to turn and glance around to try and spot Merlin.

"Merlin!" he yelled again.

Arthur huffed and carried on walking, hesitating as he heard a whistle and he stared further down the stretch of rock to see someone perched on the edge staring down into the water. Slowly Arthur blinked, staring intently at the man, just to make sure he was really there. Reaching around to his back he loosened the gun in his belt, it was already loaded but Arthur wanted to make sure he could get it quickly. He scrabbled for the side of his pack and also put his hand on the long knife that had been strapped to the side tugging it gently to make sure it could be easily pulled from the sheath. As he did that the old man who perched a little way down the causeway seemed to realise he was there, as he turned and gave a friendly wave.

Without much else to do Arthur trudged the short distance towards him, assessing the old man as he did so. He looked to be layered up in old, ragged clothes, like the tramps Arthur had known while working the streets. That consideration made Arthur's wariness increase. Most of them were harmless, but some could be violent and rather mentally disturbed. Not that Arthur thought that he was much better, he had some odd mental quirks of his own, he knew that.

"Hello?" Arthur said, a little tentatively. The old man looked up at him and chortled.

"No need to sound so nervous lad. I'm sure a strapping boy like you can take care of yourself, especially against an old fart like me."

Arthur did smirk slightly but said. "Appearances can be more than a little deceptive."

The old man's eyes narrowed shrewdly. "That's true I suppose," he conceded before casting his crude fishing line out into the lake. Arthur looked around again, feeling more than a little bemused. He turned back to study the scenery. There was, he knew after two days of hiking, no easy way to get to this section. So how had the old man got here?

"I wouldn't have thought anyone would have been out here," Arthur said. The old man looked up at him.

"It's not that well travelled, lad," he agreed. "But you and me are here."

The old man sounded quite pleased about that. Arthur watched the man assess him again, not intently, he just looked him up and down, smiling in a friendly fashion. There was nothing calculating about his eyes or expression. He just seemed pleased to see Arthur, which was rather ridiculous.

"I was with a friend, I don't know if you saw him, about my height, dark hair, kind of skinny," Arthur asked, waving his hand at the right level to indicate Merlin's height.

'And a wyvern,' Arthur thought to himself, looking around, just to check Boris hadn't suddenly appeared. It wasn't the most normal thing in the world to have following along behind you. Realising that the wyvern was nowhere in sight Arthur turned back to his companion. The old man watched him, looking mildly amused, his eyes shining. Arthur frowned at him.

"Excuse me, do I know you? You look familiar."

Arthur could feel the heat building in his cheeks as he asked the question, realising how stupid it sounded. How the hell would he know the old man? Although, in his own mind the question didn't seem entirely remote, what did the old man think of the random question?

"I wouldn't have said so lad. And I'm sure your friend isn't far away."

Again the old man seemed to find that highly amusing. Arthur wondered if the nearby towns, or villages, had a hospital with a mental health ward, and if they did, it still didn't explain the old man getting so far out into the wilderness. The old man chuckled and pulled the line from the water before casting it out again. Tentatively Arthur leant over and peered into the smooth, dark-looking water. The only movement came as a gentle ripple, where the line had dropped into the depths.

"Are there even any fish in there?" he asked.

"Oh, you'd be amazed what you could find if you are patient enough."

There was an almost wistful tone to the man's voice now, as he leant forward and peered into the water, clearly looking for something that only he could see. Arthur stared at the dark, forbidding water again, frowning as he saw a flicker of something. He guessed it was some kind of fish as it flashed a golden colour. The old man leant back and looked up at him.

"You should give it a try while you're here."

"I guess, I need to find my friends first though," Arthur said looking around again, scanning the bank and then he glanced up towards the island and the low, ruined structure that lay in the centre.

"What was that? A castle or something?"

"So the legends say. Although I've heard a few debates on it's origins. Some say it was already here when the king was brought here, others say the guardian built it while he waited."

"The guardian?" Arthur asked, his mind frantically ran over what he had read. That reference had never been mentioned, he was sure of that. Although, he was the one who had found mention of Gwen, when it was quite clear, considering all the information he had brought to light, that her involvement should have been noticed sooner.

"So I heard, one who was watching over the Once And Future King, until he returned. Only those with special sight should ever see it. What are you seeing?"

"Arthur?!"

He paused in contemplating the island as he heard Merlin's stressed tone from somewhere in the trees.

"Finally!" Arthur muttered before raising his voice. "Here, on the rocks. Have you seen Boris?!"

"That's my friend," Arthur said turning back to the old man and taking a startled step back as he realised his companion had vanished. The old, makeshift fishing rod had been wedged into the rocks, the line still trailing downwards into the water. Arthur turned a full circle, staring about in shock, his stomach felt cold, butterflies flickering about inside it and he rubbed his damp palms against his coat before bringing his right hand back to pull the gun.

"Merlin, be careful!" he warned, lifting the gun as he watched the fishing line jerk, pulling to the right, it had clearly snagged something. The long length of branch bent with the movement and Arthur inched forward to try and see what could be caught. And to also work out if the old man had fallen in, although Arthur surely would have heard a splash. Glancing right he looked at the island again, seeing no sign of him, unless of course the man could move like an athlete to get out of sight in seconds.

"What?" Merlin said, his head popping up as he hauled himself up the rocks. His eyes widened as he saw Arthur, close to the edge of the rocks, which looked worn and unstable.

"Arthur be careful!"

"There was someone here," Arthur said in bemusement.

"Arthur, watch your step! Uther!"

It made Arthur look down, staring at the mossy, crumbling edge that looked far more unstable then it had a minute ago. As he assessed that he heard Uther's voice as he reached the water's edge, Arthur looked up and suddenly he felt something move behind him as his rucksack shifted on his back, tipping his weight forward. The rocks under his feet shifted, clumps falling away as Arthur tipped forward, flailing out to try and grab something before he suddenly became airborne and he crashed into the cold, dark water.


	25. Chapter 25

The cold shock of the water caused him to gasp as he crashed into it. He just had a split second to drag some air into his lungs before the water completely engulfed him and he went down. Arthur felt himself dragged down, the water pressing on him.

'Shit, I can't swim!' came the thought. He had gone for lessons, when he had lived at the orphanage. But he had been so young then, he hadn't been in the water since he was about eleven or so. Relaxing, he remembered; if you relaxed you floated. He tried that for all of two seconds, as he did it, he seemed to roll over in the water and he kicked his legs and flailed his arms realising the weight on his back was not helping. His rucksack didn't know how to relax and float, it was going to drag him down.

Giving an almighty kick he tried to surge up to the surface and somehow managed to flip himself head down. It felt like something was pulling on his backpack, trying to get him down. As he had said to the old man, who looked harmless, appearances were deceptive. Arthur's recent memory flashed before his eyes, kidnapping, gargoyles, Merlin's magic, Gwen, Uther... it ran though his head.

He was supposed to be looking for something here, he thought, as the water, and the weight on his back, pulled him. Arthur fought for a few seconds and suddenly broke the surface. The sound of shouting vaguely caught his attention and he wondered if Merlin could do something to help, or if they were all there, and if they were going into the water after him, they had to keep track of him.

The golden flash told him his eyes were open as he went down again, and a shadow moved in front of his eyes. He tensed his hand as something latched on, and Arthur pulled away. His head turned, causing his neck to throb and he saw the shadow flicker away from him. Arthur felt air ease out of his lungs, to get back up he had to lose his pack. That fought against everything he knew, to lose so many things, all the supplies his father had bought him, but it was that or risk drowning and Arthur rolled in the water again trying to pull his arm free. He shrugged his shoulder frantically, which only seemed to spin him over as he moved in the water.

He tried kicking his legs to get back up to the surface of the water, but that didn't seem to work in conjunction with getting his backpack off. As he drifted lower into the water he remembered the knife strapped to the side of his back. Just before he had walked over to the old man he had checked to make sure he could easily reach and pull it from the sheath.

Reaching a hand round he scrabbled for the item, praying that it had not come loose, or slid from the sheath. He found the firm line of the sheath by touch and ran his hand down frowning as he couldn't find the hilt. Then he had the sense to move his hand in the other direction. Spinning around in the water seems to have addled his mind. He tried not to laugh at the thought, and the other thought considering the idea that years of performing blow jobs had taught him how to hold his breath. He almost gasped in relief as his fingers curled around the hilt of the knife and he yanked it free.

At first he aimed for the section of the strap on his shoulder, but there was too much padding to make the job easy, so instead he changed tack and went by his ribs were there was just thin webbing. Air burst out from his lungs as he ripped his coat, jabbing the tip of the knife into his side. From that point he moved away from his body, meeting some tension and feeling the tug. Arthur increased the pressure, sawing as quickly as he could.

The weight suddenly shifted to the side as the webbing snapped apart and the jerk of his arm meant that Arthur lost his grip on the knife. His hand reached out, trying to snatch it back but it fell quickly out of reach. However, what he had done was enough as the loss of one strap pulled the weight the other side and Arthur turned with it, letting the pack fall and he eased his arm clear of the other strap. Kicking his legs as hard as he could he pushed up towards the surface keeping his head upwards as the light grew stronger. He gasped as he broke the surface of the water again taking several frantic breaths, half turning he saw that both Leon and Uther were scrabbling out to get to him. Arthur made the effort to try and get to them, desperately trying to remember his long ago lessons.

In the end he just settled for kicking his legs and using his arms to try and get himself going in the correct direction. He had only gone a short distance when something seemed to latch onto his leg and he slid under again. Kicking out with his other foot he connected with something solid and the grip released and he came up again.

This time when he rose he came up facing the rocks of the causeway. Arthur struggled towards them at least thinking that he could latch onto them and hang on until someone managed to reach him. Concentrating on what he was doing he kicked out and managed to coordinate his arms into a manageable crawl.

It changed to flailing as he tangled in something, freeing himself he looked up to stare at the crude fishing rod, still wedged in the rock and the line pulled again, Arthur grabbed it, hoping that he could use it as anchorage, and he felt the force of the pull again, jerking downwards into the water. Looking down he saw the bright flash again and at closer quarters realised that it looked nothing like a fish. As he pondered it the old man's words echoed around his head, so loudly that Arthur jerked his head up expecting to see the man sat back in position.

However, despite the words resonating around his head the causeway was empty. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a flash of dark hair as Merlin struggled across the rocks towards him. Taking a deep breath Arthur ducked his head under the water and hung onto the line for grim death as he worked his way down. The rope rubbed against the material of his gloves, but he kept the grip firm and followed it down still feeling the pull.

His lungs were burning and he knew he wouldn't be able to stay down for much longer. At that point he almost lost his grip on the rope as the shadow moved close to him again, and Arthur saw long strands of dark hair brushing close to him. This time he forced himself to stay relaxed as he felt the hand on his wrist, it didn't pull, but rather guided his hand towards something.

The hand helped him along, leading him and then curling his fingers tightly around a smooth solid object. Arthur frowned as he felt a sense of familiarity stirring. Whatever he had hold of, it was most certainly his. As he took a firm grip the item drifted towards him, and the water buffeted around him encouraging him upwards. Arthur kept the hard object tightly held in one hand and let himself float upwards, letting the rope glide through his fingers.

He broke through the surface of the water, blinking rapidly to clear his vision. Looking up he saw Merlin sprawled on the edge of the rocks holding the fishing rod tightly making sure it stayed wedged in the gap. Boris lingered by his side his neck stretched down towards the water and his sharp claws clasping tightly to the rocks and wings spread for balance. As Arthur splashed the wyvern's head retracted slightly, nostrils flaring nervously and Arthur guessed that wyverns didn't like water.

He stopped debating that and yelped as someone grabbed him, it soon turned into a spluttering cough and he almost sank again in panic until Uther's voice spoke directly into his ear.

"Calm down I've got you."

Arthur still spluttered a little as someone drifted into the corner of his vision on the left side. Leon swam into view and looked around.

"Perhaps we are better off going up that way rather than trying to swim back," he said looking annoying composed as far as Arthur was concerned.

"We may need some help then," Uther said sounding at least a little irritated and as if his teeth were chattering. Arthur's were starting to do the same. He tightened his grip on the fishing line.

"We can use this," Arthur managed to stammer. Now he had stopped moving the cold of the water seemed to be settling into his body with greater intensity.

"That could give at any time."

"I don't think so," said Merlin, then he looked up and relaxed at whatever he seemed to see. "Have you got rope? Be careful as you come over there, it crumbles a bit."

Arthur wondered who he was talking to until Percival appeared, standing over Merlin. Percival started to unwind a length of rope and he dropped it over the side of the bank.

"You first Arthur," Uther ordered to nobody's surprise. Arthur released the fishing line in favour of the thicker rope that Percival held, then he lifted his other hand, blinking as he looked at the sword he held in his hand.

"I'm not sure I can do it one handed."

"I'll pull you," Percival said. Arthur grimaced a little but wound the rope around his free arm and took a firm grip. "Use the side to walk up so you don't get scraped."

He took Percival's advice, blinking again as the man hoisted him from the water with what seemed a minimum amount of effort. He used the uneven side of the causeway to plant his feet and a few second's later found out why Percival was doing so well, Gwaine stood directly behind him adding weight to it, and when Arthur came into range Merlin took his arm, and then tried to take the sword off him, ducking as Arthur tried to use his forearm to steady himself on the edge.

"Give me that and use your hand," Merlin snapped at him.

His fingers felt so numb that Merlin had to prise them away from the hilt and he took possession of the sword as Gwaine dropped the slack of the rope and went to hoist Arthur the rest of the way. Boris beat him to it, easing forward the wyvern stretched it's neck out and stuck it's nose under Arthur's backside to help hoist him upwards, and Gwaine merely pulled him the rest of the way. He sprawled on the causeway dripping wet and shivering. Percival and Gwaine concentrated on hoisting both Leon and Uther from the water.

By that point the rest of them had struggled down the rest of the way.

"We need a fire," Morgana said. "Somewhere quite sheltered so we can dry these three off."

"There's a wall there," Merlin said.

"Fire, your speciality, get to it," Morgana ordered. "I'll help Lancelot and Gwen move the camp. Percival you lend a hand, you can carry stuff."

"What am I a pack horse?" he asked, but still obediently followed her as she headed off the causeway.

Merlin turned to Gwaine. "Let's get these three to shelter."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Soon enough Arthur felt warm, huddled into the leeward side of a broken down wall. Merlin had started the warming process by heating several stones he had piled together and they glowed with heat while he went to gather some wood to build a fire. All three of them were forced to strip out of their clothes, which Arthur didn't find all that embarrassing, unlike Leon who made a meal of it as he carefully tried to keep himself as concealed as possible.

Boris ended up assisting Arthur's modesty, staying as close to him as possible, and curling around him so Arthur could rest his back against the beast and the wyvern's warm breath huffed against his leg, shoulder and side as he sniffed Arthur up and down.

"Leon, just get undressed," Uther had eventually snapped.

"You think it would be me who would find it an issue," Arthur mused, speaking clearly now his teeth had finally stopped chattering. Boris huffed and rubbed his nose against Arthur's shin.

"I don't like being naked in front of other people," Leon moaned as he wrapped himself up in a sleeping bag and tried to wriggle his underwear off.

"So you have sex in the pitch black then?" Gwaine asked. Leon glared at him and shifted the material around him.

"Leave him alone," Arthur announced, although he sounded tired and bored, his voice also carried a level of authority that made Gwaine regard him with surprise and back off saying something about going to help Merlin.

Arthur settled down and looked at the sword that lay by his side. It had to have been in the water for a while, surely. Arthur didn't know. What he could see was the bright blade and the leather on the hilt looked to be in perfect condition. He traced his fingertips over it and decided to ask Lancelot what he thought. It looked too good for something that had been sat in a lake.

"I always thought that was completely untrue."

Uther's tone was low but steady. Arthur looked up and stared at him.

"The sword?"

"Excalibur. There are two stories, that it was pulled out of stone, by Arthur, therefore proving that he was the king of Albion. The other was that it was given to him by the Lady of the Lake. Brought from the depths of lake of Avalon. It seemed strange, there were two stories, but Arthur could only be given the sword once."

"Except for the fact that I am the Once And Future King," Arthur said. "Maybe the first time there was the stone, this time the lake. There was someone with me, in the lake, I'm sure of it. And the old man..."

He paused and gazed off into space, looking confused for a moment. His eyes snapped back to reality as Merlin reappeared carrying a bundle of firewood. Gwaine followed, two steps behind him, carefully putting the wood to one side as Merlin instructed. Merlin crouched down and setting his wood down started to build a fire.

"It was you! That old man was you!"

Merlin's head jerked up. "What?"

"I swear to God. I knew him! Merlin, it was you!"

"It wasn't, I was following you, then you went down a ditch and suddenly I couldn't see you anywhere, Boris kept scrabbling up the stones and couldn't seem to get anywhere, then he sat down and just waited!"

"Merlin, this time I am not going nuts, I saw you, it was you. We are meant to be here. You wanted me here. Morgana, Percival, Lancelot, have a look around the island, see what you can find and just make sure it's safe."

"Arthur?" Uther sounded concerned.

"We are safe here, completely safe, but we are here for a reason, both sides want me here and I want to know why. See what you can find."

"And if there is nothing?" Morgana asked.

"I think it will come to me."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Arthur stirred restlessly. There was a sound in his head but it seemed like nothing in particular. Something had just caught at the back of his mind and he woke up. He was warm enough now, wrapped in a sleeping bag and sharing a tent with his father. Uther's low steady breathing told Arthur that what had woken him meant nothing to others. Unzipping the sleeping bag Arthur knelt up and reached for his trousers and jumper. He already wore thermal underwear but he added a layer and then picked up his coat.

Getting out of the tent he stood up and put the coat on and scrabbled for his boots. His hat and gloves had been stored in the pockets of his thick coat and he pulled them out and put them on. Then he stood there and looked around. Every part of his clothing was dry thanks to Merlin. It was all he had now, everything else he carried had been lost to the depths of the lake and although the waste pricked at Arthur's conscience he didn't feel it wrong to be here with nothing, other then himself, and the people around him, all of whom were sleeping deeply.

Lancelot sat with his chin in his hand, eyes closed and Percival lay back. Arthur had lost track of time, and he didn't know which of them was meant to be on watch. Looking up at the stars he didn't think it mattered, the ink black sky, glittering with stars, looked peaceful and the island didn't seem to be bothered by even so much as a breeze.

Arthur sighed, putting his hand up to make sure. The air seemed unnaturally still, and it was not natural, but nor was it threatening. Arthur fiddled with his gloves, but he didn't even feel cold as he set off, turning to the left he skirted around the camp and trudged off towards the centre of the island.

The others had explored but nothing had been found, but Arthur remembered the old man's words. You had to be looking, or at least he had expected different people to see different things. Arthur paused as he heard a huff from behind him.

"Hey Boris, are you going to help me then? What are we looking for? I'm guessing that old fart Merlin told you to come and find me."

Arthur crouched and Boris trotted forward, putting his head under Arthur's outstretched hand. The wyvern huffed, tilting his head to get Arthur to stroke him where he wanted. In the end Arthur gave up and headed further into the island, skirting a wall until a sound suddenly made him pause and glance behind him.

"Better an old fart than a prat."

Arthur turned and looked at the old man sat on the edge of the wall in a low section that had clearly crumbled away. Boris snorted prancing forward and inclining his neck upwards to sniff at the old man's foot. He seemed to find what he was looking for as his tail started to wag and he dropped onto his haunches, looking up intently.

"That depends if you are about to disappear on me, at the wrong moment."

The old man smiled, his head tilting to one side as he regarded Arthur with affection.

"I missed you."

"How can you do that? You're there, all tucked up with Gwaine. Although..."

Arthur looked around, wondering at the stillness in the night.

"There are places, pockets of magic, and time. I laid them carefully, with some help," Merlin explained.

Arthur turned and looked at him, moving closer and he crouched down to put his arm around Boris' neck.

"You sent the wyvern."

"He was here anyway. He likes you."

"And you're not really here, or I'm not with them..." Arthur said looking around. "It's too quiet, there's nothing moving. You're not here."

The old man shrugged and smiled, eyes brightening up as he grinned and again Arthur knew, he looked too much like Merlin to be anyone else.

"I'm here, so are you... just a little step away from reality. There are shadows in the world, places that you can pass through and I waited for so long, for you and when you came I had to start all over again."

"I don't understand."

"You couldn't be expected to. I had to work hard, leave so many hints to be found. Not by you but all the others."

"The stories, the picture," Arthur's hand automatically went to the pocket of his combat trousers. He fumbled in and pulled out the ragged remains of the sheet of paper. "That was your fault."

Merlin chuckled. "And there was me thinking you weren't the dollop-head I once knew. Although you are much improved from then."

"Thanks, I think. What the hell is a dollop-head?"

"In two words?" The old man asked and then without waiting for a reply said. "King Arthur."

"At least I don't go around dumping people into cold water. I thought the Lady Of The Lake was supposed to hand me the sword."

The old man looked irritated and wistful. "She did. It's the most I have seen of her for years."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Arthur wrapped his arm tighter around Boris' neck. "It looks like she meant something to you."

"She did. I lost her."

"I'm sorry. She doesn't seem to want to be lost."

"There are those that need to bridge the worlds, she has done so before and did so to bring you the sword, you will need it soon."

Arthur bit down on his lip. "It's here then, almost now, when I have to do this thing; whatever it is I do."

"As soon as you were found there would be nothing else. You are so young, your soul laid to rest here and I waited, thinking that every time I saw one of them, or sensed them, that it was your time. It was only when I became so old I knew."

Arthur frowned, slowly releasing Boris and sitting back on his heels.

"You knew what. Merlin, what? Tell me."

The old man chortled with laughter. "You could never be told anything, Arthur Pendragon. Only be guided. You were always so stubborn. Although I was never any better."

Arthur frowned but said nothing. Merlin's gnarled hand reached out to him and Arthur responded, putting his hand into Merlin's and he let it be held gently.

"I lived, I never died, I waited for you to return and when you did, I knew I only had so long. I could not be as I am now. I spent years leaving messages, hints for those that could see me, those that came back, in time, always over again, but never you. You are young, a young soul, and more innocent than any other, unique in birth and only twice have you been brought into the world. Once and Future.

"And on the contrary, I have lived long, through ages to see you return, and I could not be as I am when you came back. You and me, Arthur. It was always that. Those around us, not inconsequential by any means, had no meaning without us. I used them, I saw them, and laid the pathway to here, but others used it to. They are coming, but do not fear. This time I'm ready for them."

"You're the guardian, you built this."

"I built it all, my lad. All for you."

"What do I do?"

"All you need, is there for you to find. Everything is here for you, all you need to do is stay strong."

"I don't think I am much when it comes to that."

"You don't think you are strong? Then you do yourself a great disservice."

"I know I've been through a lot and survived fairly intact, I've heard all that from my dad."

The old man chuckled again. "He is far better this time round. Although some things never change. He thinks he can tell everyone what to do, he thinks he's always right and he loved your mother, more than anything."

Arthur went still. He had said that so casually, as if it was a fact that could never be denied. Looking down he stared at the top of Boris' head now resting on his thigh.

"I'm not sure of that. Why did she run from him? Or not at least tell him where to find me?"

"If she had, would you be who you are today?" Merlin asked.

"I wouldn't be a whore would I?"

Merlin frowned down at him. "Everyone seems rather overly focused on that, including you. You survived a bad situation, do you think you managed it poorly?"

"I never really thought about it," Arthur said. "I just got on with it. There didn't seem to be anything else that I could do."

Merlin shrugged. "Possibly not, some people may disagree. You took the path that seemed open to you. It can be interpreted that you chose it."

"Nobody would choose anything like that," Arthur argued.

"Would you choose to be a mythical king upon whose shoulders can rest the fate of the world?"

"Possibly not," Arthur said, unable to repress the smirk that stole across his face. "But I'm guessing the fate of the world might be an exaggeration."

Merlin returned the smirk. "Possibly. However, that doesn't stop this from being important. Magic is a dangerous thing if left without any control. Morgana has the power to be a high priestess, and I'm... well, I'm me, and fairly interesting with it."

"Modest too," Arthur said in a serious tone. Merlin gave him a mock glare.

"That's rich coming from you, Arthur Pendragon."

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "I wasn't that bad was I?"

"Not really, I got the worst of it out of you, and Gwen polished you up a bit."

"I don't get it though. It seemed like some of them wanted me dead, they knew where I was but didn't do anything about it. Do I need to be alive at the end of this or not?"

Merlin sighed, biting down on his lip. Despite the grey hair and wrinkles Arthur could really see Merlin in the face. It would be how the other Merlin would look when he got old.

"It's hard to explain, so I may not bother. When you created Camelot as it was, the first time round, that was your destiny, to bring Albion together. It was something new, and those who clung to the old ways feared what it would be. Others embraced it. There was a balance. You read about the Great Purge?"

Arthur nodded, he gave up kneeling as his legs were starting to ache and he settled down on his backside, crossing his legs, looking up at Merlin as he talked.

"Before that, my old tutor, Gaius, told me is was not all good."

"Was he grumpy then?"

Merlin looked to ponder that. "Yes, generally. Anyway, he said that the natural order was in danger, so much magic had been used; overused in fact. Magic needs the energy around it to be created, so it was drawn from the world, and slowly corrupted it. The purge restored that, but the old religion could not be subdued that easily."

"People even now believe in magic, and worship the old gods."

"And goddesses," Merlin added. "There was no need for it to ever die out but it could never hold the sway it used to. The magic never disappeared, it's energy still existed, but it ceased to be drawn from the world."

"And it sort of faded away into the background?"

"I suppose, but it could never stay like that."

"You didn't answer my original question."

"Do you need to be alive? This is again about balance. One battle can tip the scales. Last time your death did ensure that harmony and Camelot remained. This time, when the battle is fought the balance of the world can tip. If you survive then what is new remains, if you fall chaos will win."

"I thought you said this wasn't an end of the world scenario?"

"It is not. Magic cannot destroy this world, nor what is in it. But those with dark magic will hold sway. It will not corrupt immediately but you will not be there to hold the balance. The fight is not an obvious one, if you win you will not be hailed as the king of Albion by those within the kingdom."

"Damn; I was hoping for a palace," Arthur said.

"Unfortunately, what you will receive is more of a responsibility than a reward. You will always be King Arthur, of Camelot, and of Albion. It's just that this time, very few people will know it, consciously anyway."

"And I was born through magic? Did you know where I was?"

"When you were created, I sensed it. I felt your soul flickering into being. It was what I had lived for over all those years."

"But my mother nearly..."

"I don't believe she ever would. She had to wait for you to be born to do so, and I think for a moment she wavered. I saw her, just the once."

"When?"

"You were only hours old. She stood by the nursery staring at you in your cot, so intently. For a moment I thought she might, but in the end she loved you too much."

"You were there?"

"For a while. You were quite a pretty little baby."

"Thanks. Couldn't you have done something, to save her?"

Merlin shook his head, looking melancholy. "No, I could feel the magic, and the connection between you two. I was tempted, very tempted, to just pick you up and take you out of harms way, but if I did that there could be more harm than good done."

Arthur frowned rubbing one of Boris' horn. The wyvern grunted and settled down next to Arthur.

"Igraine had to make sure the curse remained with her, and not you."

"I watched her die," Arthur said accusingly. "For years."

"Then don't let it be in vain."

"Couldn't you have helped her? Or me?"

"Only one of you could live, and by the time she died, I had already gone into new life, the portents were right for my rebirth. If I had know what would happen I'm not even sure I would have done any different. Whatever else you are Arthur Pendragon, you are courageous and whatever happens to you, your instinct is, quite astoundingly, always unselfish."

Arthur blinked and then turned as he heard sounds. He looked round. Boris rose to his feet, grunting in concern. Then turning back Arthur felt no surprise.

The old man had gone, his part in events was finally over.


	26. Chapter 26

**FINALLY! got this chapter done. It's not exactly how I would want it, moving things into place as they are, in hindsight I would have done things a little different earlier on, but as this is a first draft, it gets written around rather than bothering to go back and sort it out. This is the fun of writing stuff... a little mind-bending at times, but always fun ;-) **

"Where Arthur?" Uther demanded loudly.

"Here!"

He ran back into the camp to find them all up and moving swiftly. Lancelot was in the process of loading and checking weapons and passing them around to the others. Not a single one of them turned to look at him.

"He couldn't have gone far!" Merlin announced loudly, sounding rather stressed.

"I haven't," Arthur replied. It caused Merlin to frown, tilting his head as if he heard something, but it didn't register.

"He's not here!" Uther said.

"Yes I am!" Arthur announced, and then looked around, looking back to where he came from. Then he looked at the others, who moved around him as if he was not there. Morgana swiftly crossed the campsite, brushing closer to Arthur but she took an unconscious step round him, to avoid walking through him. That was the only indication she gave that he was there, and Arthur didn't think they were avoiding him deliberately.

"I think we've got a problem," Leon pointed out through the arch that led to the causeway. Arthur crossed the camp and hopped over a low wall, looking out and seeing the fires moving in the woods.

"Haven't they heard of torches?" Arthur asked himself, or anyone that might hear him.

"That's not a torch," Merlin said pointing to the ball of light that appeared to be moving towards them. A shadow of a figure could be seen moving underneath it, making their way down towards the causeway. Arthur turned, thinking that perhaps Merlin had heard him, maybe he had, but his words sounded like an independent statement, not an answer to Arthur's question.

"Magic?" Gwaine asked. Merlin shrugged and then holding out his hand chanted something and a glowing ball of silver light slowly formed, expanding as Merlin's eyes glowed golden.

"I'll take that as a yes," Arthur said, this time he decided he was talking to Boris as the wyvern gave a grunt, trotting across the camp to follow him. No one noticed the wyvern either. "Any thoughts on who?"

"It seems like someone else wants to take us on," Gwaine said. "Let's face it, the queue is quite extensive."

"No, this is it," Arthur said, he turned and looked back from the way he had just come. From wherever it was he had been. The old version of Merlin had said as much. "Every hint I have been given, all the clues we followed, it was a trail of breadcrumbs, leading to here. Merlin said so, he waited here, for me and all that while he wasn't idle. This is where we have to be, but we have to stop them until we know what's going on."

"We don't know who they are?" Uther snapped. "There are too many odd references to be able to pin this down. And now they could have Arthur."

"No they don't," Arthur announced.

"How could they?" Merlin asked.

"They don't Merlin. Don't go near them!" Arthur shouted, thinking that perhaps he might still be heard on some level.

"As we have no means of crossing the water other than the causeway, we have no means of getting out. They will have us trapped if we don't do something," Percival said.

Arthur blinked and hissed in irritation. "We are not trapped. But we have to keep the island secure. They cannot get over this causeway until I've found what I need here. This is my place, I don't want them here."

"We can hold the entrance," Leon snapped. "Arthur wouldn't have left, so we just need to find where he is here, and keep this section secure."

"Thanks for listening," Arthur murmured sarcastically. Leon frowned, looking around in confusion.

"Can you hear that?"

"What?" Uther snapped.

"Great, unsurprising that you can't hear me," Arthur said.

"We have to find out who this is," Morgana said. "If we know that, we know what kind of fight we have."

"Except more than a few people have snuck up on us," Lancelot said. "No point making a fuss about it. Keeping the causeway secure is all we need to do now."

"Why?" Percival asked.

"Because, it's important. And maybe we should try and find out if Arthur's out there."

"I'm seriously not! Merlin!"

"Can you scry for him?" Morgana asked Merlin.

"I'm not sure. I don't think we have time."

"Oh for God's sake, I'll go and look."

Arthur ran off onto the causeway, Boris behind him, no one made any attempt to stop him from heading out of the shelter of the castle. Arthur ran forward confidently, staying low and watching the movement high in the hills. He heard the sounds of the others moving behind him, although they still seemed unaware of him, a low grunt that told him Boris remained close.

As a group they paused by the edge of the causeway, before it rose up into the woods. Arthur narrowed his eyes as he stared through the trees. All they could still see were the lights moving in the darkness on the slope above them. Some had paused, clustering in a small group.

"That's about the place we were starting to set up camp, before we changed our minds," Lancelot said.

"So they know we're here," Gwaine said.

"We're not meant to be anywhere else," Arthur informed him.

"Could they have got to Arthur?" Lancelot asked nervously.

"No," Arthur said, loudly, in the hope someone got the hint. Annoyingly they didn't.

"With magic, maybe."

Merlin and Morgana looked at each other.

"We're best to manage this."

"You're not going without me," Gwaine said to Merlin. Lancelot looked concerned but nodded.

"I'll stay with Morgana."

"Stay close, and we'll keep you shadowed," Merlin said. Arthur stepped back, watching as Merlin and Morgana's eyes flashed gold and a second later, although they didn't disappear entirely, the four of them seemed shrouded in darkness.

"Stay here," Lancelot said to Percival and Leon. "Keep the causeway clear. You two should stay out of sight."

Uther looked annoyed. "Arthur's my son, I'm not leaving him."

"He may still be on the island," Leon said. "And it may take more than Percival and me to hold the causeway."

"Plus, your shoulder is not totally healed from the gargoyle incident."

"Grotesques," the rest of them corrected in a idle fashion. Uther rolled his eyes.

"I don't think we should delay," Lancelot informed them. Uther looked annoyed, and then nodded.

"Pull back as soon as you can, especially if Arthur is not with them."

"Er... I'm here guys, I'd better stick with you," Arthur said to Merlin, who turned his head again, as if hearing something, but it didn't quite register with him.

As they turned and headed out, it unfortunately, chose that moment to become rather inconvenient for Arthur.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

It was either the moment that the spell surrounding him wore off, or as soon as he stepped far enough away from the centre of the power, the little pocket he was tucked away in seemed to tear.

Arthur couldn't entirely describe it. Everything went dark, but that didn't panic him, for some reason the darkness felt safe, and warm. It reminded him of when he had been little, one of his first memories, of getting up and toddling over to his mother's bed and scrambling under the duvet, snuggling against her warmth, comforted by the familiar smell of her.

It distracted him for a moment, and then the sudden tingling of his skin returned him to the situation in hand. Whatever surrounded him brushed against his skin, lightly, as if he had broken through a myriad of spider's webs, the threads breaking, but clinging to him as he pushed his way through.

There was no violence to the sudden snap that seemed to draw him back to reality. It just happened. He didn't fall, or stumble. When he broke free, he just stood there, alone. Glancing at his watch was no help, he hadn't done it just before he fell through so he couldn't tell how much time had passed. It was long enough for the others to have dispersed, so Arthur stood in the forest with just Boris for company. He gave a sigh and glanced around.

He had the option of returning over the causeway, back to the main point of power, which was where he was meant to be. It would mean his father would cease worrying, but the others were wandering out in the forest, trying to intercept whatever threat was coming their way. Arthur bit his lip and thought. That was a bad thing to be doing. They were meant to be on the island. On a sudden instinctual whim Arthur put his hand out and felt, again, the subtle flow, the sensation of spider silk, on his arm. There was something around the island, protecting it. They had walked through it without any sense of it before, because they were expected, and wanted.

The picture had been drawn for him, Boris had been sent to lead him, and Merlin had, as he had just told Arthur, set everything up for him. Arthur had read the stories, Merlin hadn't been ready the last time. He was not meant to be, Arthur was meant to have been lost, kept safe for when he would be needed again. The barrier was there to stop it happening too soon, and Merlin hadn't needed to protect Arthur, or he had done something to make sure that Arthur got here.

No power on Earth could kill Arthur before he was meant to be at risk. Merlin had done his work behind the scenes. Arthur had found all the references, and hints. The only people in danger were the people out looking for him, thinking that he might have been taken by the enemy.

Arthur blinked and huffed. He couldn't go back to safety just yet, it wasn't him that needed protecting, it was his job to protect the others. That was what he was there for after all.

"Come on Boris, and stay alert."

With the wyvern lumbering, silently, behind him Arthur headed off, pausing as he reached the top of the incline and he ducked down as a figure moved through the trees. Arthur dropped lower and Boris hunkered down, both of them huddling on the floor as they watched the group of men pass. Arthur's eyes locked on the man leading them, waiting until they had passed by to comment to Boris.

"What the hell is he doing here?"

Boris grunted in response and then Arthur's eyes widened and his head turned sharply as, at the point where they had almost set up camp on the hillside, came the sound of gunfire, shouts, a scream and some blast that looked suspiciously like magic.

"Oh crap," Arthur hissed. "What have we missed now?!"

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"So, this is the brave and valiant Emrys."

"I am," Merlin said wriggling against the two men holding him. He glared at the blonde woman opposite him. She stepped over the prone Lancelot, who nursed a gun shot wound to his thigh. Lancelot's eyes followed her intently then snapped to the right as something caught his attention. They moved back a moment later as he dropped his head in acknowledgement.

"And you think you could stand against us?" the blonde woman demanded.

"I didn't seem to be doing that bad of a job until now."

She waved her hand and the two men twisted Merlin's arms causing him to yelp.

"Merlin!" Gwaine yelled jerking under the grip of two other goons who kicked his legs out from under him to get him onto his knees, and they pushed him down. "Leave him alone!"

"Or what? What will you bargain with? The Once And Future King, perhaps?"

Gwaine fell silent. Merlin struggled under the grip of the two men, one of them clamping a hand over his mouth to subdue his words.

"No! Numph!" Merlin protested.

Gwaine hesitated, eyeing the blonde woman uncertainly. "You'll let Merlin go?"

Merlin's muffled words protested Gwaine's question. Gwaine lifted his head and slammed it into the groin of the man on his right. He gave an 'umph' of shock and loosened his grip. Yanking his arm free Gwaine followed up by punching the man on his left, just under his ribs, wincing as the man's hold on his arm caused it to pull and there was a pop as his shoulder dislocated. Through the haze of pain Gwaine grabbed the knife in the man's boot and threw it in the direction of the blonde woman. She raised a hand and deflected it as if it was nothing more than a mildly irritating fly.

Gwaine tried to struggle again but the man slammed a hand into Gwaine's damaged shoulder and he howled as the pain rippled through him. He had half risen but the pain brought him back to his knees.

"Leave him alone!" Merlin yelped and then sagged as someone hit him on the back of the head. The two men holding him released him, letting him drop to the floor. Gwaine watched in horror as the youth stood over Merlin, hitting him again. He looked up and smirked at Gwaine, who slumped in shock.

"Mordred?"

Merlin groaned, stirring slowly, face down on the ground and too dazed to do anything.

"Yes," Mordred said. "Arthur did enough research to find my place in the legend, and none of you thought to do anything about it."

"What?" Morgana gasped, she stood up from her place of concealment, still holding a gun and pointing it at Mordred. "You, it was you, all the time. I trusted you, I took you in!"

"Yes."

"Is that all you are going to say!" Morgana yelled and then as her eyes flashed gold she screamed in pain, dropping the gun and falling to the floor. Several men rushed in to grab her and the blonde woman glared around, her own eyes rippling with flashes of gold against the brown irises.

"Do not touch her!"

The venom in her voice caused the men to pause and Morgana looked up, staring at the woman before slowly getting to her feet. She eyed the scene warily, glaring at her cousin and then staring at the woman and her eyes drifted to the men who had closed in, but now were too wary of touching her.

"What is going on?"

"You don't recognise me, sister?"

Morgana frowned. "Why would I? I don't have a sister."

"That is what Uther wishes you to believe, but it is a fact. You were given no knowledge of my existence, or your true purpose in this world. Your magic was given to you for a reason."

"I've read the legends, they are quite murky on some of those facts."

"However, you must have heard the name Morgause."

"Yes, of course. But are not my sister now, so why would you believe that?"

"It is a fact, not only of legend, but of blood, our blood is the same. I am your sister."

"We are not the people from those times, we have their memories, and perhaps their purpose, but I am not going to be so blinkered, or led by the nose by something written centuries ago. I'm not that stupid!"

Morgana snapped the last four words, making sure her contempt showed. "And Uther has done nothing but encourage and help me. He's the one that helped me develop my powers."

"That can't be."

"It is. Mordred could tell you that."

The blonde woman turned to glare at him. Morgana watched and then, since nothing seemed to be forthcoming from the opposing side, she continued the conversation. If nothing else she could delay and wait for the others, although she felt at a loss as to what they could do, except retreat to, and hold, the little island.

"So, in what way are you my sister?"

"Through our mother. Before Gorlois met her. She was too young to keep me, she gave me up to people she trusted. Your mother believed in the prophecies, she dreamt of them, just like you have."

Morgana's jaw clenched. "They are not prophecies, they are just flickers of what happened before."

Morgause slowly stepped forward, walking a little way around the circle of people, moving towards Morgana. Gwaine snarled and tried to struggle, although the attempt was feeble. The men holding him didn't touch his shoulder but the shifting of hands on him told him the threat was there. From across the clearing Merlin slowly looked up, his eyes wide, a look of mild disbelief and horror in them. Gwaine inwardly cringed, wondering if it sounded like he had really meant the implied exchange, Merlin for Arthur. He could perhaps try and tell Merlin it was a bluff, if they got out of this situation, but he couldn't honestly say he would be telling the truth. Merlin knew him well enough to know that.

Morgana watched the woman's approach, shifting her feet so she could face Morgause as she approached, but her eyes occasionally flickered to Mordred, who stood over Merlin, watching him carefully. Merlin slowly struggled to his hands and knees, blinking as he tried to work out what was happening around him. He looked at Gwaine, who glared over Merlin's head to Mordred. Merlin turned to follow the stare and eased himself away from the youth, who looked ready to hit him again. Mordred smirked.

"But you know the stories, there were always hints of my existence," Morgause said.

"Then," Morgana argued. "There was no reason to believe that everything was exactly the same. It isn't the same."

She shifted warily as Morgause stepped forward.

"Sister, is it not your destiny to play lackey to others. You have the potential to be a High Priestess, to control the magic that has long been lost. It is yours to control."

Morgana stared at her, looking at Morgause as if she was trying to see something that was not entirely clear to her.

"Sister, you should be with us, not a feeble second to that!" Morgause turned her gaze to Merlin, who looked up, still stunned from the blows, clearly not entirely comprehending what was happening around him. Gwaine shifted again, watching Merlin with concern.

Arthur paused as he came close to the area of the confrontation, crouching in the bushes as he watched the person he had been following enter the clearing. The men around the group, shifted again and Arthur, as he caught sight of their faces realised he recognised one or two of them.

"Sorry to interrupt."

Morgause looked displeased by the man's entrance. Arthur could get a clearer look at him now he had entered the light of the campfire, the brightness within the circle darkened the shadows of the forest around it. Getting on his hands and knees he crawled under the nearby bushes, moving slowly, feeling the branches scrape against his clothes. He eased round a few stiffer limbs to prevent them from snapping and revealing his location. Behind him he could hear Boris' low, also careful, movements. Turning his head he lifted his hand.

"Stay."

He murmured the word and felt no surprise that Boris obeyed instantly. Merlin had the power to control them, and the old version had left Boris. Arthur had no doubt that one of the instructions he had given the wyvern was to obey Arthur's commands. Arthur exhaled and turned his attention back to the scene in front of him and studied the source of his contention. He watched Lancelot's eyes flash in his direction, Arthur nodded and then flicked his eyes towards the action occurring in the clearing. Taking the hint Lancelot gave no further indication that he knew of Arthur's presence. Arthur watched the scene in front of him with interest.

Cenred hadn't changed much over the years since Arthur had last seen him, when he had gone to ground after Aled's business interests had gone belly-up. Working as his second in command had presumably been a sideline to what he had been really doing, keeping an eye on Arthur. He supposed the blond woman might had simply been following the same trails that Uther had, but Arthur got the feeling that his mother had given secrets away to someone.

The former pimp's hair was still dark, and long, and he still had a perchance for black leather. He still looked, Arthur eventually mused, pretty good, and he presumed that the body underneath the leather was well-maintained. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Why are you thinking that?" he murmured to himself.

"Where is Arthur?" Morgause demanded.

"The rest of them seem to have headed back across the bridge. I can get a group to cross the causeway and deal with them," Cenred said. "Although, it looks as if they could easily hold it."

"More than that," Morgause said. "There are traps in that area, Avalon is a place of strange magicks."

"So what is to stop something from happening to them?" Cenred said dismissively. "There could be nothing to worry about."

Morgause snorted, pacing slightly. "I heard stories. Merlin buried Arthur there, and he never left. Those of my kind that searched for the remains of the Once and Future King, if they returned, told stories of what existed there."

She hissed the words, turning to glare at Merlin, who had crawled a little distance away from Mordred. He froze, staring back at her. Arthur's eyes narrowed. Merlin was not up to dealing with this. The old version had admitted his mistake on that. Living too long in one form. Arthur had been different, he had been gone for so long, yet he had not lived a sheltered life. The old version of Merlin had left him to live it, to struggle and suffer. Arthur didn't know if he was any better for it, but mentally he was stronger than Merlin. He was screwed up, but he had some dealings with bad, hopeless situations, and this was certainly one of those. Slowly he started to wriggle backwards, jumping slightly as Boris prodded him on the backside.

"Come on Boris," Arthur hissed. "Work to do."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Arthur will come to us," Mordred said. He smirked at Merlin. Morgana hissed in fury, she kicked one of the men flanking her on the leg, toppling him. Morgana flattened him by stomping on his back, using him as a springboard to launch herself at Mordred. His eyes widened as he fell back in surprise. Morgana got her hands around his throat.

"You little shit!"

She didn't get very far as Mordred's eyes flashed and Morgana found herself flung backwards, crashing across the clearing to land flat on her back. It scattered a few of the men, although they closed again to try and grab her. Mordred looked murderous, hand raising and his eyes flashed again.

"Enough!" Morgause roared. Mordred stilled, but he glared at his cousin. Morgana returned the favour. The men flanked her, but again didn't dare go near her. Merlin took advantage of the chaos to crawl a little closer to Gwaine, only pausing as Cenred stepped between them. Merlin hesitated.

"Well, this is certainly interesting," Cenred drawled. He reached down and latched a firm hand onto the back of Merlin's neck. He pulled the youth onto his feet. Merlin attempted to cringe away from him and Gwaine struggled again, gritting his teeth as someone grabbed his arm, putting pressure on his damaged shoulder.

"How long will we have to wait?"

Morgause huffed. "They may not move now until morning. Uther will be careful with his little boy."

"So we have time to fill," Cenred said, running his free hand down Merlin's torso, directly to his groin. Merlin kicked out.

"Leave him alone!" Gwaine yelled.

"It might bring your little king to heel quicker," Cenred said to Morgause, nodding his head in Gwaine's direction. "If you leave that one's almost lifeless corpse by the causeway. No point in wasting this one," he added, looking a squirming Merlin up and down. "Give me a bit of time and he could be making me a small fortune."

Gwaine growled, struggling again, screaming as the man holding him twisted his arm.

"No!" Merlin yelped.

"They'll stop if I tell them to," Cenred said. Merlin froze, eyes wide as he stared up at Cenred. He started to gently massage his hand against Merlin's neck.

"Merlin, no," Gwaine growled. Merlin looked to him and then back to Cenred. The fear and uncertainty obvious on his face as he debated the dilemma.

"Oh, please," interrupted a voice. "As if you are into virgins and wilting violets."

Everyone swivelled to stare at him. Arthur watched the shocked faces and smirked. He stood on a raised log, but as he realised he had everyone's attention he stepped forward, dropping down the short distance to land in the clearing. He studied each person, ensuring that everyone saw him.

"Nice to be back with you," he announced. Several men closed in on him and then backed off as Boris raised his head, tensing his body and snorting.

"Enough, heel Boris."

Boris did, quite placidly. Arthur eased his way across the clearing, aiming for Cenred, who still held onto Merlin. He tilted his head and smirked.

"I mean, you do prefer them broken in."

Cenred looked from Merlin, to Arthur. Arthur raised his eyebrows, and gave his best 'pulling in a punter' smirk.

"They're fun to break sometimes. And from what I can see, he'll know what to do."

Arthur gave up on the smirk and pouted. "Not as good as me. Put him down."

Amazingly, Cenred complied, pushing Merlin away, turning himself to face Arthur. His eyes looked Arthur up and down, taking in every detail. Cenred looked quite intrigued by what he saw.

"You look a little different."

"Designer clothes, but other than that, not much I think."

"Oh, I don't know."

"Still, I can do it better than he does," Arthur said nodding in Merlin's direction. Merlin looked up from his prone position on the floor and Arthur glared at him, telling him to stay still. The others watched the scene in fascination.

"I don't doubt that. Although, if you stay here, these two will kill you."

Arthur followed Cenred's gaze, looking at Morgause, then Mordred. He turned back after a moment.

"I don't think so. I don't think they can."

"It's me who gets to kill you!"

Arthur turned back to Mordred. "In battle. You lot are the ones who tied yourself up in these knots and the magic, now, won't allow anything else. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. You lot deluded yourself into thinking this was all about magic, and now, you've made that magic into what is it. you have to do it the way you imagined. You are so tied to this, and you've now got to wait, because nothing's going to happen until tomorrow. Mordred, you can't kill me until then."

"How do you know that?!" Morgause smirked, her eyes flashed gold. Arthur turned to her and shrugged. One brief glance at Cenred confirmed the man was intently assessing his rear view.

"That is why none of it has made any sense. It's looked like people have tried to kill me, or not, and set up the weirdest things, because that is what they did before. It's all just a pattern. All of it has just been condensed because I've not been here."

Arthur stopped talking as Cenred grabbed his jaw.

"And what if I decide not to let them go. At least not your little friend."

"So, you'll turn him into a damaged wreak, it won't change the outcome of tomorrow. He was not there, that was point. Merlin didn't help Arthur that day, and so he can't help me tomorrow. Leave him alone Cenred, you can have me instead."

"What about my men?"

"You never play that way, and most of them I wouldn't touch with a bargepole."

"And if I say no!" Morgause snapped.

"You can't touch Merlin, nor any of them. You didn't have any influence on their destinies, but Merlin did on yours, so I suggest you back off and leave him alone. Can't you feel it."

Boris could, he had hunkered down, snarling in irritation, although despite how it affected him, he was not leaving Arthur's side.

"Gwaine, take Merlin and go, now! Morgana, help Lancelot, take him back to Avalon."

"I can't."

Merlin said that. Gwaine, however, could. He had somehow defied definition, although from the information Arthur had found, maybe not. There were stories that told Arthur that Merlin had been Gwaine's first concern and something, in present day, had grown from that. Arthur turned to Gwaine.

"Take him away from here."

"Arthur I can't leave you, I am supposed to protect you," Merlin protested.

Raising his hand Arthur put it on Cenred's chest, then he turned and walked away from him. Arthur stepped closer to Merlin and everyone around them shifted uneasily as something moved in the air.

"Yes, you can. I listened to you. The old you. That part of you spent years building that island. You never left me, until you knew it was time for me to come back. I just had a conversation with you about it, you left me Boris, he was put there to find me. But you are not stupid Merlin."

"I don't know," Merlin said. Gwaine lurched up to grab him the moment the guards released him. He wrapped his arms around Merlin and held on. Arthur nodded at him, Gwaine would fulfil that part of his obligation.

"You might have given me some of the passwords Merlin," Arthur said, rubbing Boris' head. "But the fail-safe's are all yours. You find them, while I distract the guards. I can do that."

"But he's..."

"He's my former pimp Merlin, I've done it before, I can handle him. I know what he's like. He looks for the main chance, the moment that these two are not it, he'll turn like a snake. Give me time to charm him, because you need that time more then I do."

Arthur pushed Merlin back.

"Gwaine, take him, and go... now! Morgana go with them."

Morgana looked uncertain but she had gone to help Lancelot up and as she moved back she opened up a gap in the circle of enemies around them. No one dared touch her. Morgause clenched her teeth, at least aware that for now, she couldn't win Morgana over. Gwaine followed in her wake. His job was to protect Merlin, so that was what happened.


	27. Chapter 27

Uther raved as the four of them returned. Merlin shell-shocked, Gwaine clinging to him like a limpet, Morgana seething and Lancelot not entirely sure what to make of any of it, leaning heavily on Morgana until Percival came to relieve her.

"You left my son there!"

"He told us to go. He told me to protect Merlin."

"They will kill him!"

"No they won't," Merlin said looking dazed as he stared around. He gulped again, he had been sick twice on the way back, the shock and blows rattling him deeply.

"How could Mordred do this?" Morgana asked.

"Because that is what he is meant to do," Leon said as he sifted through the information they had on the computer. "It's Arthur he is supposed to turn against but Mordred hasn't had a connection to him. He doesn't know him, he never trusted him. You invested your time and energy into Mordred, so it had to be you he betrayed. If Arthur is right in what he says then they are powerless to do anything but follow the pattern they have created."

"As far as we know in that pattern Arthur dies," Lancelot said. "I think that might be quite a big flaw for us."

"Arthur isn't following this pattern," Leon argued. "We do so a little, we know the stories, and we've done the research but like Morgana we stand back somewhat. The enemy doesn't. Arthur isn't tied into any of it. He's been kept separate from everything."

"So what is he doing now!" Uther hissed. None of them answered, the answer was obvious. Arthur was doing what he had done for years, surviving as best he could. Merlin blinked, looking around, biting his lower lip for a moment.

"He's buying us, me, time..."

"What?" Gwen asked.

"He said, I built everything here, I laid Arthur to rest here, and I stayed here. Arthur apparently had a conversation with another version of me to that affect, but that version isn't here... now... I'm here," Merlin paused to look around. "So, I need to find what I left. I was the only one of us who was building something for Arthur."

"So, where are we looking," Leon said, he typed on the laptop, the screen flicking in different colours as he brought up several images.

"They did a few archaeological digs here, looking for whatever it is you might find. Nothing of significance came up but there is the odd thing, hints of buildings. That picture; where's that picture Arthur bought?"

Gwen leant over to scrabble through the pockets of Arthur's discarded coat.

"He did have it on him, but when he went into the lake, it would have been ruined."

"We don't need it! I don't need it!" Merlin snapped, he looked around frantically, eyes rolling in distress. "I've got to do this, I've got to find what Arthur needs, what I left here!"

"Merlin! Merlin!" Gwaine grabbed his wrists pulling Merlin round to face him. "Then stop panicking. Arthur sent you to try and find it, you have to be calm, take a breath and think about it."

"I'm trying," Merlin said, his voice rising in stress. "I needed to make sure he was ready this time! I wasn't there and he died, because of me."

"Arthur was in the middle of a battle, that meant he was in danger," Gwaine said. "That would always happen. Now, take a breath and think calmly. If you were... well... you... what would you leave here? Why would you leave it? Where would you put it?"

"Oh, erm..." Merlin frowned and thought, looking around carefully, blinking and wavering on his feet. Gwaine took tighter hold and Uther moved behind him, just in case he toppled.

"Mordred gave him a couple of blows on the head," Morgana said. "I'll get the first aid kit, he'll need a check up."

"I'm fine," Merlin said. "I can do this."

"I hate to bother everyone with a timescale, but can you do it before tomorrow afternoon?" Leon asked. Everyone turned to him and looked at him curiously.

"Why?" Uther eventually asked.

"I've correlated the information, and sort of circumspectly used a few different calendars to work it out, but by the look of it, as far as I can tell," he paused and turned the laptop for the rest of them to see. "Tomorrow, is the date, of the battle of Camlann."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Arthur did worry a little about the others, and what Uther might think of his actions. He lay back on the rough blankets in the tent while Cenred left to find some water and something to eat. Arthur heard the ever watchful Boris snarl as Cenred passed and then Boris' head poked through the flap in the tent. He nosed his way in and sniffed Arthur's bare shin and huffed.

"Never took you as the judgmental type," Arthur said to him. Boris nudged his leg. Arthur lay back and drew the sleeping bag tighter around his naked form. His body ached but Arthur noticed that Cenred had been somewhat cautious with him. Arthur opened his eyes as Boris gave another snarl and Cenred paused halfway into the tent, eyeing the wyvern nervously.

"Quit it Boris," Arthur murmured.

Cenred sidled past holding two bottles of water in one hand and two packets of crisps in the other. Boris' eyes stayed on Cenred as he dropped one of the packets onto Arthur's torso and held out a bottle. Arthur reached out to take it.

"I remembered you only like plain crisps," Cenred said, as if doing so was something of a great concession.

"How very thoughtful," Arthur replied as he opened the packet. He held one large crisp out to Boris as the wyvern's nose quested forward. He huffed and his tongue snaked out to take the crisp. Then he settled down.

"Does that thing have to keep staring at me?" Cenred asked.

Arthur twisted the cap on the water and took a swallow. The bottle was warm, although he could hardly expect them to be carrying a fridge along with them. Arthur grimaced and said.

"Merlin takes the trouble to keep things like this cool. And Boris was sent to... well... I think he's a guide and bodyguard. So, yes he does. I'm not dinging him out of the tent if he wants to stick his head in."

"So, I have to put up with him then."

"Love me, love my wyvern."

"I don't love you Arthur, you're just convenient."

Arthur paused drinking, raising his eyebrows as he stared at Cenred. He paused to put the cap back on the bottle and went back to eating crisps. Boris laid his head down, his nose snuffing against Arthur's leg.

"As just a shag, or are you after something else?"

"What sort of else?"

"The else that might occur if this lot don't get their way."

"They're pretty confident Arthur."

"Yes," Arthur said. He shifted onto his side, letting the bedding drift a little but also keeping the leg Boris' head lay against in position. "Because, they think they won last time. I'm not sure that's true. I think I was just preserved."

"For what?"

"Now, this... what's going on. I'm the Once and Future king. I've done the once part, they had to make sure I could do the future bit."

Cenred snorted with laughter.

"I don't buy a single moment of it, but your lot appear to have invested their entire life," Arthur said in response to the derision.

"So have yours."

"Not as much. They know most of the facts, they understand them, but they are circumspect with the information. Things have no true basis in fact, they are legends and stories. Come on; are you telling me you buy it?"

Cenred shrugged. "At the end of the day, I get good money. Minding you for all those years did us well, Aled included until he fucked up."

"That was why he picked me up."

"He didn't lie about it. A client was looking for someone just of your description."

"Geoffrey Monmouth was the middle man of that transaction."

"Your every other Wednesday, correct."

"Everyone knew what was going on but me."

"We didn't know. Aled just received orders, and I followed whatever he told me to do."

"Was fucking me an extra perk of the job?"

Cenred smirked, "no. Actually we had strict instructions not to touch you, which seemed a little strange considering what we were making you do."

Arthur snorted. "You do know you've been involved before?"

Cenred responded with his own snort of cynical laughter. "I thought you said you didn't buy into it."

"I don't, but I did find a reference to you. Or at least a king by the name of Cenred. Quite an unsavoury character by what I read. Not very bright either."

Arthur sipped some more water, while he watched Cenred's reaction. He didn't want to be intrigued, and he most certainly didn't want to ask but Arthur knew he had put on the right tone to make Cenred want to ask.

"I'm sure he was shrewd enough," he said, trying not to sound insulted. Arthur suppressed the threatening smirk.

"I guess, although Morgause killed him, once he was no longer of any use."

"I'm best to remain useful then."

"She didn't look happy earlier on, when she had to let the others go."

"With you here, she knows they won't try anything. And I think you're right. They can't do anything to you, Mordred can only act when things are in place."

"And that was why they wanted me alive, or at least Morgause and Mordred do. I can't say the same for a few other people that we have encountered, but they believe the story, that somehow the whole thing has to play out the way they believe. They think history will repeat itself and once I'm gone then their full power will return."

Arthur voiced the thoughts. It wouldn't hurt to in front of Cenred. Arthur doubted that he wouldn't report any of the conversation to Morgause. There was nothing of great interest in it, and also, Cenred would find it more convenient to keep information from the sorceress. It could act as insurance against the fate that was most likely to happen to him, if Morgause fully believed in what was happening.

"And you don't believe that?"

"I'm not the king of Albion, or Camelot. I'm just me. It's not the same because things aren't the same. I get the feeling that it was always the case. It's a different scenario, they might regain more power by killing me, it could as easily seal the magic off from this realm. What purpose does it serve anyway?"

"It serves the purpose of the person using it."

Arthur lifted his head and stared at Cenred. "How very insightful."

"I have my moments. Do you really think you can beat Mordred?"

"In most of the stories I give him a fatal wound."

"After he has nearly killed you," Cenred said.

"Doesn't sound good does it. Although, it's not the same this time. It's not some epic battle, I don't think we have much to do with it anyway. We're just pawns that something seems to keep shuttling about the board."

"We're the kings then, if you are going for a chess analogy. Who's your queen?"

Arthur frowned, his eyes drifting to look at Boris, who tilted his head to meet Arthur's gaze. It made Arthur wonder, as a few dots connected. Had he just encountered the people who had, years ago, tried to kill Gwen.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Uther prodded the fire, the embers glowed, but in a desultory fashion. He didn't think he was going to get much from them. The fire was almost dead, forgotten in the panic over Arthur's disappearance and the attack from the forest beyond. Now Arthur was trapped with them, and Merlin had wandered off in a desperate attempt to find what he was looking for.

Morgana and Gwaine had gone with him. Lancelot, Percival and Leon were working in shifts to watch the causeway, but it had seemed to have gone quiet out in the woods. They could see lights from the camps but no one appeared to be moving. Uther poked the fire again, reflecting that they had part of what they wanted. For the moment, they had Arthur.

Gwen shifted closer to the fire, wrapping the blanket she wore tighter around her shoulders. She watched Uther's attempts to wring some life out of the fire, failing miserably. His jaw was tense, and although he glanced at her briefly Uther turned his attention back to the fire. Gwen didn't think that pointing out the uselessness of it was a sensible thing. Instead she shifted the blanket around her.

"Do you think Arthur will be all right?"

Uther glanced at her. Gwen hedged her bets on the conversation opener. She didn't assure Uther that Arthur would be fine. If she had said that she didn't think she would get an answer. For a moment she didn't think one would be forthcoming at all. Eventually Uther broke the silence.

"He seems to think so."

"Merlin will find something," Gwen said, wincing as Uther glared at her, pointing out that such a comment was nothing short of inane. "Arthur seems to think he will."

"Arthur shouldn't have stayed up there."

"He was doing that to protect Merlin. Do you think he would do anything else?"

Uther huffed. "I wouldn't expect him to do anything else, but I've only just got him back, I can't lose him now."

"You won't. This doesn't feel right. Like Leon said, Mordred was destined to turn against someone. It was Arthur, now it's Morgana. I suppose I was supposed to in some way, from the bits I read, of what Arthur found I wasn't exactly the most honourable of wives."

"No."

Gwen blinked at the tone of voice. "You're not seriously hinting that that was the reason that you went mental at us talking."

Uther looked furious, but he went back to poking at the fire with such ferocity that Gwen knew she had her answer.

"So why did you take such an interest in my mother. The only reason you would do that was if you knew something was going on."

In the end Uther stopped fighting the fire, and the embers still maintained a low, dull gleam. Gwen could feel some heat radiating off it. Merlin probably had a hand in it still doing the job.

"I did think it suspicious. But no, I didn't entirely correlate the information. Arthur did that himself. Something made him look to you and if the information we had was anything to go by I would neither notice, or approve."

"I'm not about to seduce your son, if that is what you are thinking."

"I know that. I think the history tells us that you were neither in love, or compatible."

"From what I read, Arthur loved me and I betrayed him. I don't think our roles are entirely exact anymore. I am not the woman who betrayed him." Gwen paused and as Uther frowned in confusion, she put herself into hot water. "His mother was."

"Igraine loved him."

"But she betrayed him, not by leaving him to the streets, but by dying, by almost making him watch what happened to her. He didn't tell you about that, about the day he walked in and just saw nothing more than a living corpse."

"I just don't understand why she didn't tell me. Arthur wouldn't have suffered as he did if she had just let me know how to find him."

"And if she hadn't, Arthur would not be as strong as he is."

At Gwen's confident tone Uther raised his head, and the fire between them flickered with power.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The negotiation meant that Cenred had Arthur until dawn. For the last couple of hours Cenred hadn't overly bothered him again. Their conversation had paused and Arthur had obliged a few of Cenred's needs; a blow job, a massage of his shoulder where an old wound bothered him and, very carefully, no more conversation.

Now he slowly dressed as the light of the sun started to strain through the trees. Cenred still hadn't stirred and Arthur saw no point in bothering him, the light would rouse him soon enough. It seemed overly demanding to Arthur; the sunrise, red against the horizon, but that seemed to be the point. They had found the island and these people knew that it was linked to what was to happen now. As soon as Arthur found something the relevant fight appeared. Morgause and Mordred knew it was going to happen, they had been planning it for years... maybe.

He opened the tent flap and stepped out, eyeing the sunrise for a moment, a picturesque scene which lit up the island. Arthur smiled as he looked at what he saw. Boris huffed, informing him he was quite stupid not to have expected it. Arthur could see the castle and even people moving around it, flickers of light and power, and something pulsing deep within the ground. Looking around he realised that no one, not even the ones with magic could see what Merlin had done. Arthur didn't want to give away anything.

Mordred, however, had clearly been waiting for the moment he left the tent. And probably preferring the fact that Cenred was not with him. Boris huffed again, pressing himself against Arthur's legs. The wyvern had stayed as close as possible all night, although his head retreated from the tent occasionally, Arthur felt aware of his proximity.

As Mordred approached, ambling across the camp Boris snarled, the sound rumbling up through his throat. Arthur tried not to smirk as Mordred hesitated, eyeing the beast with both caution and anger. Arthur guessed, accurately, that the thought of a magical beast playing bodyguard to him grated on his rival's nerves.

"Boris, enough of that."

"He won't be there to protect you when you face me."

Arthur said nothing, simply staring at Mordred for a moment. He would have expected to feel some fear, knowing what was to happen, but Arthur didn't. Since the encounter with the old version of Merlin Arthur felt calm. He didn't know if he was handling any of this in the right way, a few people, his father included, might not agree with him. However, he got the feeling that whatever he did, they would follow him. Arthur wondered if Mordred felt that secure.

"Maybe not, but I can look after myself," Arthur said.

"I'm sure."

Arthur shrugged. "That's up to you."

He turned away from Mordred as Cenred appeared from the tent, looking around with a frown on his face as he searched for Arthur. The frown smoothed out momentarily, as he spotted him, but then returned as he looked at Mordred.

"I have to go," Arthur said.

"And you think we'll just let you walk out," Cenred asked, glowering as Boris snarled.

"That was the deal," Arthur told him. "And as untrustworthy as you can be sometimes, I don't think you will be able to help yourself sticking to that bargain."

"You don't want to listen to anything we have to say?"

All three of them turned to look at Morgause as she strolled into the clearing. Arthur raised his eyebrows as he looked her up and down, hardly dressed for wandering around the woods. Her blonde hair tumbled down her shoulders, which were clad in red material, the dress clinging to her slim body. He remembered Lancelot telling Morgana that most evil people were snappy dressers, and he thought of the carefully chosen wardrobe that Morgana had picked for him. He guessed if Morgause was her sister it ran in the family.

"And why would I do that?"

"You may think us to be on the wrong side, but we want to achieve what you do, the balance of magic is important to us as well."

Arthur shook his head. "I read all the information my father has collected over the years. You are trying to recapture something that is gone. That can't be done. That's like me trying to regain my virginity."

"That's long gone," Cenred drawled. Arthur rolled his eyes and turned his head to glare at him.

"That was the point of that analogy. Everyone also seems rather over-fixated on that."

Arthur couldn't deny Merlin's, old Merlin's, observation of that. People had used that as an insult, and had kept Arthur on the streets, forced to sell himself to survive. He wondered what the point of that was. It kept him contained, and cowed, most certainly; but it had hardly broken him.

"Perhaps," Morgause agreed causing Arthur to raise his eyebrows, looking at her in surprise. "It would certainly not have been what your mother wished for you."

"And what would you know about my mother."

Arthur felt the usual antagonism rising in him, which happened whenever someone mentioned her. He had worked through quite a portion of the emotional mess in his head but those feelings he hadn't quite dared to touch yet. That wound still remained rather raw, and probably always would.

"I knew your mother, long before she became involved with Uther. She trusted me with your care."

"Oh, yeah, that was such a fantastic job. You really expect me to believe that!"

"It was never my place to interfere," Morgause said. She paused and regarded Arthur for a long moment before she turned slightly. "Come with me."

Arthur blinked as she turned and walked off into the forest, she didn't look back to see if they were following, as if she possessed complete confidence that he would obey her. That made Arthur hesitate for a brief moment until Cenred prodded him in the back, pushing him forward. Arthur tensed and turned to glare at him, but there seemed to be little point in arguing, plus he felt a little curious as to what Morgause had in mind. Boris trotted next to him and they walked a short way through the woods to another clearing. Morgause moved around the edge, avoiding stepping through the circle of stones in the centre. Arthur looked around, eyeing the symbols drawn on the ground, and daubed on some of the stones warily. A few he recognised from some of the books that Merlin read, others he didn't, but that might have been because Merlin never actually turned to that page.

"What's that?" Arthur asked.

"Has your all important protector and advisor never shown you anything?"

"Of course he has," Arthur snapped. He walked a little way around the circle. It reminded him of the one that Merlin had carefully constructed, to help protect him when they had first found him. That one had taken time to build, or, when Merlin explained it properly, the circle had protected him while the longer spell that Merlin needed to create, to permanently protect Arthur, had been constructed. The one that, due to various circumstances, had never been completed.

"But that doesn't explain what you are doing?" Arthur said.

"Step into the circle."

Arthur took a step back in retaliation, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. A slight smirk played around her lips as she watched his reaction.

"You don't trust me?"

"Can you blame me?"

"I knew your mother, you have the same look about you. This is for your benefit, so you can understand what your mother did. But for me to do that you have to trust me."

There was little chance of that, Arthur thought to himself, but he felt curious, and Mordred had already pointed out, Arthur himself knew that Morgause could do nothing but wait for the moment that the pair would battle. She could try and sway the tide as long as he remained aware of that, she hopefully couldn't trick him.

Slowly, and with an exaggerated movement he stepped over the line of the circle and moved into the centre. It didn't feel very different.

"Now what?" he asked Morgause.

"There are many pockets of magic, and that makes the veil between the worlds thin. From that I can draw through the spirits of the dead."

"Really?" Arthur drawled. He let his gaze trail round as she walked around the circle and he turned on his heel, his eyes widening as he realised he was suddenly not alone in the circle. The blonde woman had not stepped it with him, but as he turned, she just seemed to appear in his line of vision. Almost as if he had drawn her into his line of sight.

"Mum?"

As she stepped towards him, Arthur froze, staring at her in shock. She reached up to touch his face, cupping his chin with on hand and she ran her fingers through his hair with the other.

"Oh my boy, my son."

Arthur tensed slightly as Igraine hugged him. She didn't feel real, but that could have been the thought in his mind telling him that she wasn't real. There was a hardness to her, and as Arthur reached up to touch her arm he felt the cold, resilient skin underneath. He didn't wonder how it was possible, not too long ago he had seen a spirit of Merlin. Arthur guessed that whatever Merlin had done to the island, Morgause had done in the clearing, on a smaller scale. What did make him wonder, was Merlin more powerful, or had he just simply taken more time? Had he been waiting and preparing even longer than Morgause and the others who had attacked them.

From what he had seen of the confrontation earlier, they didn't think much of Merlin's power, although Morgause seemed invested in trying to utilise Morgana in some way. That wasn't ever going to happen, Arthur decided in that moment. Even if Morgana was meant to be evil, some of the legends had been ambivalent about that fact and even if it meant a few rows with her Arthur would find a way to keep her on side.

"Are you all right? You've been through so much. Nothing you deserved."

"I'm fine mum, I'm okay," Arthur actually meant that. "Although things are a bit weird. Why did you never tell dad where I was?"

Arthur didn't put any blame into his voice. He didn't feel any. His mother had her reasons, Merlin had told him as much, but he wanted to hear it from her, if he could, and he seemed to be able to.

"I couldn't trust you with him, not after what he had done to me!"

"What had he done?"

"He used magic, he didn't care if it killed me, and he would never have let me be with you, to look after you. I only had you for a short time and I didn't dare..."

Igraine trailed off.

"He would have taken you from me. All he cared about was your potential. Don't believe what he says, he would have seen me die Arthur! He didn't care about me, only the fact that I was to produce you."

Arthur blinked, stunned by those words. The next thing he said he blurted out without realising. His mind processed information, and some part of him seemed to be ahead of that, already knowing the truth. He watched his mother draw away, staring up at him in shock. Arthur looked down at her, letting the thoughts wash through his mind. Because what he heard, didn't sound right. In fact, it sounded right, but it was wrong.

There was no doubt, when the time was right, Uther wouldn't have had a second thought about sending him away from Igraine. There would be a point when Uther would insist on Arthur becoming independent. Morgana had been sent away to school in that way. But on the flip side Arthur felt that his father would have enjoyed, indulged, the early years of Igraine and Arthur together. He had hinted that he would have done anything to keep that unit safe. Even Cornelius Segan had hinted that Uther would have murdered to save his wife's life.

Arthur watched the image of his mother pull back, an expression of confusion on her face. Again Arthur's mind flickered with images of Igraine, the ones he remembered; of her looking tired, the pain of her illness etched into her face. It was something she had never bothered to hide, and certainly not from him. Her pale, fragile features looked too perfect now. This was the way Morgause remembered her. He supposed the dead could come back as they wished, restoring themselves to their former glory, but he didn't feel convinced.

"Arthur, what? I don't understand."

He repeated what he wanted to know. So many things clarified in his head. His mother wouldn't lie to him; she wouldn't. It now made sense to him; all of it.

"What was his name?" Arthur repeated.

Memories flickered in his head as he looked at her. Those first five years of his life, the memories had always remained strong. He had read somewhere that memories only started to stay with people when they reached the age of three. But instinct remained before that. Arthur remembered too much, and he had never forgotten it. For so long he had held onto it, but it was hard to keep the details sometimes and one thing now flickered in his mind, suddenly having a significance that it had never had before.

All he had previously remembered of that moment was coming back with his ice cream looking at the living remnant that was his mother. The bald head, the skin tight on her bones and the aura of sickness that emanated from her. Now he remembered more, as he looked at the far too perfect image he was faced with now. His mother's words from those years ago walked round his head.

"I know it won't be nice, Arthur. But someone will look after you, if the bad thing happens to me. They'll be there, I'll make sure."

The words slammed into his memory, and he blinked, shook his head and let it reiterate itself in his head. By the tone of her voice, and her intonation, there was only one person she meant by that. She meant her husband, his father; and Gaius, and all the others who would come along. People assumed she hadn't tried to find Uther, there had been no indication of such a thing. Arthur's stomach stirred coldly as it occurred to him, there was only one person who could have prevented it. Who had time, and patienc,e and immortality and who, first time round, had not trusted Uther Pendragon.

The conversation he had had last night was not just to give him information, it was an apology. Very well disguised but Merlin had almost confessed, he had got it wrong. He had left Arthur to his own fate, to allow him to grow. Arthur smirked, that was the last thing; Merlin had waited, the old version had waited for that last thing, to at least make sure Arthur was there, and he had prepared the ground with Uther. Merlin had come to Uther, and tested him and Merlin didn't even realise now, in his youthful version, what he had done. He had tested those boundaries before Arthur had come up on anyone's radar.

"You must remember Mum. You were forever sewing him back together, I threw a tantrum once when you washed him. And you always sprayed him with your perfume, so he'd always smell of you."

"Arthur, it's not important."

"Actually," Arthur said, very carefully taking hold of the image, which was a bit weird he decided, and he stepped back away from her, holding her at arms length. "It's very important. Because you're not my mother. You look like her, you sound like her, but you are the person Morgause remembers. You're not my mother, because my mother would never lie to me."

She pushed forward against his hands. "I'm not lying."

"Yes, you are. You just don't realise how you are lying. You'd never look like this to me. Never, even once, did mum shirk the truth of what might happen. If you were really my mum, from the dead, you'd come back looking as you did when you had cancer. That's what I remember of you, and you wouldn't even lie to yourself about that. You are just a well constructed image, and I know that Morgause tried this before, to use you to get to me.

"And you don't know the name of my teddy bear, so you are most definitely not my mother."

Arthur stepped back, staring at Igraine for a long moment. Uther probably had pictures of her, hundreds of them. No doubt if he asked his father, he would produce them for him to look at. At least he could now use this to put over his own memory, so he could remember her now, as she was before he had come along, and she had carried whatever curse had been meant for him.

"Don't leave me Arthur... please..."

He had already turned away from her. Nothing she could say would change his mind, because she was not his mother. Nothing even close. No one but himself knew who she really was, at least for those years. That all belonged to Arthur, and Arthur alone.

"Come on Boris." Arthur frowned and looked around. "Boris?"

The wyvern wasn't in the immediate vicinity. Arthur stepped towards the trees to make his way back to the camp.

"You think we will just let you go?" Morgause snapped. Turning back Arthur realised the circle was empty again. He shrugged.

"Don't have much choice do you? You have to wait to see the outcome of..."

Arthur tailed off, turning in time to see Boris cavorting through the trees a long string of sausages in his mouth and someone from the camp running after him. All things considered it suddenly looked like the most ludicrous thing Arthur had ever seen and he laughed loudly. He turned to address Cenred rather than Morgause.

"I think the full English is off the menu. Boris, enough of that!"

Boris lifted his nose and snorted, his jaw still clamped on his prize but he ran down the hill in the direction they needed to go to get back to return to the island.

"This is not over!" Mordred snarled. "And you can tell my cousin, I'll see her soon."

Arthur paused and turned again. Boris snarled as Arthur covered the distance between himself and Mordred. The youth tensed, straightening up and glaring at Arthur. Arthur smirked, and responded to the threat to Morgana.

"You know what, I don't think I will. Now if you don't mind, I have to get back."

Arthur did feel a moment's sorrow as he walked away, he glanced at the empty circle, shrugged and then turned. Boris huffed in satisfaction. Arthur guessed he had done the right thing, that, or Boris really, really, liked sausages.


	28. Chapter 28

Leon was the first to spot the movement. It only took a few seconds assessment to realise it was Arthur and Boris. Getting up he turned through the archway to address the camp.

"It's Arthur!"

They all started to stir. Gwen and Uther were up first; Merlin followed, scrabbling frantically up, with Gwaine huffing as Merlin's elbow slammed into his side. Darting around Leon Gwen reached the archway, blinking in shock as Arthur strolled down the causeway with Boris trotting beside him chomping on the stolen sausages, and for some reason Arthur sang the Muppets theme as he ambled along.

He paused when Gwen ran forward and threw her arms around his neck, clinging to him tightly. He looked surprised and mildly disturbed for a few moments before putting his arm lightly around her waist. Gwen tightened her hold.

"Thank God you're all right." She released her grip and pulled back. "You are all right?"

"Perfectly," Arthur told her.

Gwen stepped back, frowning and looking a little unconvinced.

"I am," Arthur announced to both her and Uther as his father stepped forward.

"What did you think you were doing?" Uther demanded, although he clearly didn't require Arthur to answer, instead as Gwen backed up Uther took her place, hugging Arthur just as tightly.

"I'm fine."

Arthur sounded it, and looked it to Merlin, but he still approached cautiously, unsure of his reception. Arthur slowly extracted himself from Uther, who took the hint and moved to one side to allow Arthur to face Merlin. For a moment Merlin looked apprehensive. Arthur watched the nervous approach with a frown.

"What's the matter with you?" Arthur asked him. "Couldn't you find anything?"

"No... Yes! I did... but..." Merlin tailed off, not entirely sure what he was saying. Arthur understood the gist of it, despite the incoherence.

"I'm fine, Merlin," Arthur repeated. He met Merlin's nervous gaze remembering his words, that the only person he had even slept with was Gwaine, and Merlin had every intention of keeping it like that. No doubt Gwaine did, he clamped a hand down on Arthur's shoulder in something of a gesture of thanks. It was all he did, also backing off to let Merlin and Arthur face each other.

"I'm sorry, I just..." Merlin tailed off and then his eyes widened in surprise as Arthur stepped forward, reaching to put his arms around Merlin's shoulders and hug him as if it was the most normal thing in the world. All of them watched with varying levels of surprise, Arthur had always made his feelings on physical contact clear, but it appeared to be something he had worked through. He took Merlin into his arms without any hesitation, rubbing his hand up and down Merlin's back in a reassuring gesture.

"Don't worry about it; better me than you when it comes to Cenred."

"But?"

Arthur pulled back. "Trust me; I got more out of it than he did. Plus Morgause is superbly pissed off now. I get the feeling Cenred will turn the moment it looks like things won't go her way."

"But you can't trust him," Gwaine argued.

Arthur turned to look at him, stepping back from a relieved looking Merlin. "Not as far as I could throw him, but I can trust his self-serving nature."

No one could really answer that. The fact that Arthur looked entirely fine and well, and utterly undisturbed by what he had been forced to do the previous night was something none of them could argue with. Arthur turned back to Merlin.

"So you did find something?"

"Yes. But I'm not sure what some of it means. Some of it is obvious, it's your stuff, or rather King Arthur's stuff. You're technically not the exact same person but..."

"Where's he going with those sausages?" Arthur mused interrupting Merlin's halting talk. All the way back Boris had been happily chewing through his chain of sausages, and now, all of a sudden, he appeared to be furtively skulking off with the remaining few. As he trotted off, he hunched his shoulders and lowered his head, as if that would mean he was suddenly invisible.

Merlin turned in confusion as Arthur gently pushed past him to trail after the wyvern. Boris jogged around a corner, and Arthur clambered up the uneven foundations of the castle and went after him. Merlin glanced at the others and then ran after Arthur. Gwaine, Leon, and Morgana all followed. Percival obeyed Leon's signal to stay and watch the archway and Lancelot, preferring to stay close to Gwen, opted to stay by the camp.

Uther pondered his position, and then as he heard Arthur's yelp of shock he leapt up the wall and ran around the corner. As he ran he heard Arthur's call it was answered by a strong, resounding, voice.

All of them stayed frozen with shock, Arthur rather painfully on his backside where he had fallen. Boris lingered, not entirely certain which direction to go. The dragon gave a sad sounding murmur and lowered her head, gazing sorrowfully up at Merlin, who used the deep tone of voice to bellow something else at her. The dragon retreated, huddling back into the crevice from which she had jumped out at Arthur. Boris shuffled with her, stretching his neck out to put the sausages down, nudging his offering with his nose to push them towards the dragon.

"Merlin, don't shout at her," Arthur said looking up at him. Merlin stared down with wide eyes.

"I thought she was going to hurt you, when you fell."

Arthur shifted so instead of being planted on his backside he was on one knee.

"The only thing hurt is my arse, and a modicum of pride." He did rub his stinging backside, wincing where he found a sore spot from landing on a stone. "And I don't think she would, she must have been staying here, might be why Boris is here."

Boris tilted his head and grunted in confirmation. Then he went back to nudging the sausages.

"Why?" Gwaine asked.

"To keep her company," Arthur said.

"How do you really know she's a she and he's a he?" Gwaine added.

"I think the stories do say that the young dragon that was rumoured to have been in existence was female," Uther mused. "And the stories of Merlin's power as a Dragonlord appear to be confirmed."

"Still no need to yell at her," Arthur informed everyone. He shuffled forward and picked up the sausages Boris had been pushing towards her. He huffed irritably at Arthur.

"Oh shush," Arthur admonished before carefully offering out the meat to the nervous looking dragon. "There you go."

She eyed him with large, sad looking eyes. Arthur shuffled forward and she cowered a little, giving Merlin a nervous look. Merlin looked a little rueful and said something else in the strange language, it held a hint of command to it, but baring in mind Arthur's words, he kept it as soft spoken as possible. The dragon gave a mewling reply before easing forward to take the sausages. She retreated again hunching down to eat the offering. Boris shuffled forward, curling close to her, sitting by the entrance of her cave. The wyvern gave a rumbling murmur, nudging her side gently. Arthur watched them for a moment before turning to look up at Merlin.

"I take it you didn't find her earlier on then?"

Merlin shook his head. "No, I didn't think to come this way."

"So... what did you find?"

"There's a cave, more sort of a vault I think. I think you, King Arthur, was buried there."

Arthur slowly got to his feet. Boris murmured and looked up at him.

"You stay with her," Arthur told him. "I suppose we had better name her hadn't we?"

"Her name is Aithusa," Morgana said. The dragon looked up, pausing eating her sausages and she gave a bleating sound of greeting to Morgana. Getting up she eased her way out of the small cave she had tucked herself into. Morgana looked quite startled as the dragon pushed her nose into her hand.

"She likes you," Arthur said. "So, what have you found?"

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Wow, I mean, wow."

Arthur looked at the deep room. The steps led a good way down but the ceiling of the vault ran up high, arching over. In the centre of the room, neatly laid out was a chain mail shirt, a red tunic, a pair of leather gloves and some boots. The clothing had been laid on a raised section of stone, which had clearly been put there for that reason. Arthur reached out, gently touching the soft material of the tunic. It looked very neatly maintained, after so long; Merlin had, somehow, found a way to preserve it.

"Mine, or King Arthur's, I presume."

"I think, from what you said about the conversation you had with me... or... not me, other me..." Merlin paused. "That's really weird, but I think as you are the Once and Future King that you are more likely to be him, more exactly than anyone else is their other selves. If you see what I mean."

"No," Uther said. Merlin bit his lip.

"I think he means that as we have only ever existed once before, whereas everyone else has turned up previously, we are less diluted than the rest of you. I am more likely to be like King Arthur than you are Uther Pendragon, who was Arthur's father. You have only fathered me twice, but existed more than that..." Arthur paused and turned to look at Merlin. "I'm not explaining it much either."

"More sensibly than the other half of the coin," Leon said. "That's how you are described, two sides of the same coin."

"When did we enter a really clichéd soap opera?" Morgana asked as she slowly stepped into the vault. The dragon trailed along behind her and Boris followed along trotting over to where Arthur stood.

"Why do I get a wyvern when you get a dragon?" Arthur asked. Morgana shrugged.

"I think the other dragon died," Merlin said sadly. "We found a hillock on the other side of the island, with a carving of a dragon on it. I doubt I buried him here, but I think I mourned him."

"So, she's the only dragon then? I guess you decided she needed company. Boris is kind of a substitute," Arthur mused. "That's a bit sad really. She must have been here with you, but you had to leave and she couldn't. She doesn't look very well."

"Stories state the dragon was imprisoned," Leon said looking at the laptop he had propped on his arm to keep searching through the files. "As she grew she became deformed. From what I can tell, Merlin, her Dragonlord, was unable to heal her. From that picture we have of Kilgharrah, it's clear that she is much smaller than he was."

"He was millennia old, or older than she is," Merlin reasoned, while he watched Arthur finger the chain mail.

"Still, it's over a thousand years since she was born, from what I can find, she's hardly grown."

Morgana hoisted herself up onto a ledge at the side of the vault. Aithusa settled under the dangling feet, stretching her head up to let Morgana pet her.

"Maybe the lack of magic had affected her."

"It wasn't lacking in magic when she was born, magic returned to the land and Merlin stayed faithful to Camelot, even after Arthur died. He protected the queen, and the knights of the round table, those that remained. And why am I finding all this information now, I can't even believe I have an internet connection," Leon said.

"You probably don't," Arthur said, moving to the top of the stone table, leaning against it, at the far end, where a dagger lay, just over the neck of the carefully laid out clothing. "It's not only this stuff we are finding now, it's all that information as well. This is the stuff I need, but, the purpose is still evading us."

"I don't see why," Morgana said.

"Think about it. Arthur's job, previously, was to create Albion, bring all the kingdoms together and restore the balance of magic to said kingdoms. Which I did, and once I had done it, along came Mordred."

"Who killed you," Merlin snapped. Arthur looked up.

"But he didn't, Merlin, if you look at it a little differently. They were both fatally injured on the battlefield, at Camlann. Mordred died there, he was buried. Arthur wasn't dead, he was brought here. I'd served my purpose there, in that time, and once I had done that, that was it, I needed to be preserved for the rest of the prophecy to complete; the future part. Mordred was there to ensure that happened. That was his purpose. The purpose now is the one thing that is not revealing itself." Arthur lifted his hand and waved it vaguely in the direction of the mainland. "They don't know it, Mordred doesn't know it, he just thinks he's here to kill me."

"Like he did last time," Uther said. "Mordred probably died thinking that he had killed you, King Arthur. He had struck a fatal blow, why would he think any different, even if you had been buried here."

"Or does he just think that this time will be a little more fatal?" Leon asked.

"Thanks for the optimism," Arthur said.

Leon frowned, looking confused. "Oh, well, presumably when you die this time you don't reincarnate."

"Well, how about we consider the fact that I'm not going to die. I haven't done anything, which would make this time round rather pointless." Arthur glowered at him a little before looking around at the others. "We can forget anyone else fighting, the battle of Camlann was simply a stage for Arthur and Mordred to face off on. The rest of it seems irrelevant."

"Some of the stories you showed me were Arthur coming back to fight Mordred after he had taken your kingdom, and your queen. No offence Morgana, he's your cousin but ew!" Gwen said. Morgana smirked.

"I've read those stories as well, ew! at him being my son, with my brother."

"It really does sound like a very bad soap opera," Gwaine said. Merlin giggled, clamping his hand over his mouth to stifle the sound.

"So," Arthur said. "I'm meant to fight, and have some armour in which to do it, although, we don't entirely know why this time. I guess then Merlin might not have known how deeply it resonated the last time. But you've had long enough to think about it."

"There's something else that was left here, you need to see it," Merlin said. Arthur nodded and then looked to Gwen.

"I think I should add. It was Morgause that left that bracelet for you, the Eye Of The Phoenix. She wanted you out of the equation."

"But why?" Gwen asked. "What was I?"

"Arthur's queen," Leon said.

"More than that," Uther said. "She was Camelot's salvation, and what Arthur fought for. Without her you would not be who you are now. Gwen has helped this time, they must have known that."

"A queen is her king's confidant," Leon said.

"But in the stories, Gwen betrayed Arthur," Gwen said. "Why wouldn't they just follow that?"

"History is written by the victors," Arthur said. "It's told by the people who are there to tell it. Merlin didn't die. Merlin is immortal, and ensured that he was here, and he must have heard everything, but he probably made sure that you all, whenever it needed to be seen, saw what was necessary. Whatever they decided to read, and understand, he probably left to them."

"He could have manipulated them," Leon said.

"No, he wouldn't have. Merlin wouldn't have done anything that could be considered unfair."

Merlin blinked, looking a little surprised by that.

"This isn't a football game, Arthur, there are not any referees," Uther snapped.

"No, but Merlin knew what part of it was mine. That's why this is here, I have to fight, and he left me what I needed. I have the sword, I've got the outfit, what else do I need."

"Actually, there is one more thing," Merlin said. "Come and look."

He turned and walked out of the vault, by a door that Arthur had just assumed as a shadow. Everyone else, but Gwaine, looked confused. Gwaine had presumably been with Merlin when he had been hunting around the island for what he needed. Arthur followed, hearing the others trailing behind him. They took several steps down and then encountered a very strange staircase upwards, that couldn't, Arthur thought, possibly exist because it seemed to at least reach the first floor as they trudged up the steps.

His hand trailed down to his pocket and he cursed to himself. He didn't have the picture anymore, of the castle that had been there, that Merlin had built, which existed but didn't exist.

Pockets of magic still existed. Old Merlin had told him that. The shadow in the room probably led into one, and the castle was still here. It was just that no one could see it, Merlin's presence had probably unlocked the metaphorical doors.

"How the hell are we going upstairs?" Leon asked.

"You know that castle in that picture?" Arthur said.

"Yeah."

"Although it doesn't look like it, it's still here, just we can't see it."

"Like an alternate dimension," Gwaine said.

"I guess so," Arthur said. "Merlin had time to make a few of them from what he was saying to me."

"And he left the picture then? Which you found, and wanted, so he left a trace of something for you to find." Leon mused. "And then Cornelius Segan woke up."

"Could be they were following Merlin's trail to find you," Uther said.

"Or the other way round," Arthur said. "They've all been playing this game, and I've been oblivious to it. That's a bit annoying."

"I was up to whatever it was I thought you wanted, or something..." Merlin said and Arthur heard the creak of boards. He jogged up behind Merlin and looked at the room. A small room because it didn't require space. The two items were small and neatly placed on their own pedestals.

"Why are there two of them?" Arthur asked.

"I can only touch one," Merlin said putting his hand on the neat gold band that presumably fit Arthur's head. Merlin grazed his hand over the more ornate crown and his hand passed through.

"Okay, so I have only got one, two seems a bit complicated. Why would I have two anyway."

"You are the king of Camelot, and then the king of Albion," Leon said. Arthur turned.

"That was a good question you asked earlier, why are you suddenly the oracle of everything?"

Leon looked up from the laptop he had been keeping balanced on his arm. "I don't know."

"Never mind," Arthur said. "So this is mine then, both of them are but for some reason I only get one. Do I wear it or what?"

Arthur picked it up, looking at the gold band hesitantly. Merlin shrugged.

"I don't know I just know that..."

Arthur didn't hear the rest of Merlin's words as he experimentally put the item on his head. As it connected it almost drove him down onto his knees.

'Do you know how to walk on your knees.' 'I wouldn't have a friend who could be such an ass.' 'Shut up Merlin.' 'Cabbage-Head.' 'It's been like that for hundreds of years and it's not about to change for you.' 'Yes, Sire.' 'Arthur.' 'You must be courage.' 'It's the ultimate test of strength and courage.' 'I told them it would never be you.' 'You're a sorcerer.' 'I blame myself for what you have become.'

The words swamped Arthur's mind, he felt vaguely aware of the others rushing to stop him from hurting himself as he fell. He let them, instead Arthur let the words run through his mind. As he dropped and his head fell forward he knew the crown would fall, and the moment would be lost. Arthur lifted his head wincing at the clang of metal. It was not around him, he watched, he felt himself fight, and he gasped at the searing pain as Mordred slammed the sword into him. Arthur knew he responded in kind and something shifted inside him. He bled onto the battlefield, so did Mordred. But Merlin had taken him away, had thought he could be saved. Lights flashed behind his closed eyes and Arthur gritted his teeth and opened his eyes, the sound of the crown clattering to the floor bought him back to reality.

"Arthur are you all right?"

"Next time you need to leave post it notes around the place, like 'Warning, this crown may give you serious flashback syndrome.' Fucking hell, Merlin, you didn't think to warn me."

"About what?"

"I've just watched my former life. I spent an awful lot of time telling you to shut up and throwing things at your head."

"That's not very nice," Merlin said.

Arthur pressed his head between his hands. "For what you just did you deserved it in advance. Ow! And trust me, you got your own back."

"Sorry?" Merlin offered tentatively.

"Apology accepted. On the plus side, I think I can manage in a fight, except for one downside."

"And what is that?" Uther demanded.

"Not telling, just in case I'm wrong. Help me get changed, I need to get ready, and I am not wearing that damn thing, I am not a king or a prince or anything. I'm just me, I'm Arthur Pendragon."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Do I look stupid?" Arthur asked as he tugged at the chainmail.

"If you were going to a party, I'd say yes; but for the occasion today, I'd say no."

"Thanks Gwaine."

"You're better dressed than the competition," Percival said dropping the material of the red tunic over Arthur's head to settle it over the chainmail. He flicked the material around, trying to tug the creases out of it.

"Percival, it's fine," Arthur said, taking the belt from Merlin's hand and looping it around his waist, securing it so it didn't press the rings of the chainmail into his stomach. He shifted it about until it felt comfortable.

"Here," Uther said, moving to his left side and he gently eased the sword into Arthur's belt settling it on his hip. Arthur shifted experimentally. "Keep your hand on the hilt when you are walking so the blade doesn't tangle around your legs."

"Good advice," Arthur said.

"And don't let yourself get killed."

Arthur looked up in surprise, meeting his father's gaze, seeing the worry in his eyes. As much as Uther knew Arthur had to do this, Arthur guessed he didn't like the idea of it. It was probably, Arthur thought with sudden insight, easy for him when Arthur had been no more than a fact, something Uther knew existed, but had yet to encounter. Now he knew him, and had spent time with him, it would make it much harder.

"That's good advice too," Arthur told him which at least coaxed a smile out of him. "Now, you're sure I don't look stupid?"

"No, you look, well..." Gwen tailed off. "Kind of magnificent."

"Do you want your crown as well?"

"Cos that will be real useful in a fight, plus the damn thing gave me a headache," Arthur said to Merlin who still tentatively held the gold band.

"It might stop a sword cracking your head," Gwaine suggested.

"Not helpful and no. I don't think so, you keep it Merlin."

"Pendragon!"

Mordred's voice echoed from beyond the archway, positioned on the causeway.

"Couldn't I just shoot him in the head?" Morgana snarled. Arthur turned swiftly.

"No!" he ordered with an odd urgency. "This is my job, I'll deal with him. I think I've got everything I need."

Boris trotted up to him and sat at his feet, lifting his nose to push Arthur's hip.

"Including my escort," Arthur said patting Boris' head. He then put his hand back on the sword hilt and walked a few experimental steps. "I reckon I've got that."

He turned to look at the others, who had all clustered together a little, staring at him with shock and awe. Arthur took a breath and shrugged his shoulders, managing a brief smile.

"Here we go then."

And he stepped through the archway to meet Mordred.


	29. Chapter 29

He made an impression, he could tell that by the looks on their faces. Merlin crept up to stare out from the archway and he watched the same expressions on the faces of the opposition. Morgana shuffled close to him.

"You know, I should be the other side of this, shouldn't I?"

"No," Merlin said. "I don't think such a thing is black and white."

"That's not what the stories say."

Merlin turned to look at her, his eyes serious. "You are the one that pointed out they are just stories and we are not these people to that exact degree; except perhaps me and Arthur."

He watched her debate that, struggling with herself over what she knew, over the fact that her own cousin had turned against her.

"I never liked him," Merlin said. Morgana stared at him. Merlin shrugged. "I didn't. It seemed rude to say anything but there was just something about him that seemed... off. If you see what I mean."

Morgana frowned considering that. "I think if you had said that to me before, I would have disagreed with you. Now, I'm not so sure, and not because this is all happening."

"It's to do with this place," Merlin said looking around warily at the structure that he had built. He had listened to Arthur's tale, of seeing him, as an old man, before he had given that immortality up, to join Arthur, again.

"What you did, here, the other you. All those years ago."

"So it would seem, Morgana," Merlin said steadily. "And again, you doubt we can win."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"You think you can win?" Mordred sneered. Arthur blinked, shifting the sword in his hand.

"Do you think the situation is as simple as winning or losing?" he countered. Arthur himself was starting to think not.

Considering the life he had lived, he had never put much stock in religion and beliefs and a plan. If there was he had got a rather duff role in the whole grand scheme. Now he wasn't so sure, he had a place, something worked out there, in the darkness, unseen by many but it was there. Arthur was part of it, and he knew he was right about why he had died the first time, as he had seen his life spread out before him, when he had placed the crown on his head.

Mordred stepped forward, clearly not interested in any of Arthur's thoughts on the subject. Bringing up the sword Arthur blocked the blow, moving sideways on the causeway to prevent himself from slipping. The movement off-footed Mordred and Arthur saw the opening in his defences. Mordred seemed to realised the same, struggling to right himself. Arthur could have taken advantage but he hesitated, stepping backwards rather than forwards and allowing Mordred the time to recover. It caused him to pause, circling slowly and assessing the situation, eyes narrowing as he studied Arthur.

Arthur busied himself trying to remember what had gone through his head, in the moments that he had worn that crown. It was something he was never going to touch again, that might have been one of old Merlin's hints. He was no longer the King of Albion. Albion didn't exist. Or it did, to them, but it didn't when you looked at the modern world. It was something else, existing beneath it, something that had never gone away, because Arthur had created it.

He recoiled, bringing up Excalibur in response to Mordred. It surprised him, just how he did it, as he knocked his opponents' sword away and the eagerness with which he wanted to step forward and attack. There were two moments when he almost did that, and then paused, coming back to himself calmly, looking down at his arm in shock.

The power of the weapon seemed to vibrate up his arm, trying to tell him what to do. It seemed to be reacting to the fight by itself, but the damn thing probably wanted to protect him. Mordred jumped forward again, using Arthur's preoccupation to his advantage. Since he had been so lost in his thoughts he had to rely on instinct and the sword moved for him, blocking each blow. The only thing Arthur wanted to do was restraint it, that feeling, the moment he saw an opening that he could take advantage of.

He was fine until he stepped back onto a loose rock, he went backwards and fell heavily. Crashing down he winced as something scraped against his left hand, stabbing into the glove. His hand jerked upwards as a jolt ran though his hand. He scrabbled to his feet, staring at his hand and the small hole in the leather glove. He could feel the trickle of blood from the palm of his hand, the nerves tingling with pain, and what Arthur thought was something else. Pain, in most forms, was a very known quantity for him. He had spent years being abused, and had learnt to deal with it. That was how he knew something was different, the tingling had nothing to do with physical pain, something else was happening.

"Arthur!"

Merlin's voice snapped him out of his contemplation. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds but Mordred was on him again. Arthur parried, defending himself against Mordred, preventing the other, more experienced, fighter from finding an opening. Beyond that he wasn't sure what to do, his mind worked remotely from his body. He had done that for years, taking his mind away from the physical aspects of reality. There were times that was so necessary that he could do it easily. He clashed against Mordred's sword and reaching up a hand pushed the youth away from him sending him staggering down the causeway. Mordred staggered, flailing, the sun catching on the sword blade. Arthur's eyes locked on the section of metal missing from the blade.

His mind flashed with a memory, he had stabbed Mordred before, in retaliation. A piece of Mordred's sword had lodged in him, he hadn't bled as heavily on the battle field. Then Merlin had reached him, trying to heal him. Arthur frowned, he tried to work that out. His instinct told him that bleeding was not a good thing, and not just because he'd probably die from it.

"Right," he murmured to himself as Mordred straightened up, looking furious, and confused. Again he had been vulnerable and again Arthur had not taken advantage. To them, to all of them, the situation seemed like a life and death scenario. Arthur couldn't view it like that, maybe Merlin hadn't. What the hell had that old git been trying to tell him?

Mordred ran at him again and Arthur steadied his feet. He didn't back-peddle, nor did he move to meet his opponent, he just stood there, firm, still, and feeling oddly calm. Again the sounds of their swords clashing resonated through the air and again Arthur merely defended.

"What is he doing?" Uther snapped. "He's had more than one opening to enable him to finish this off."

On the other side of the bank Cenred voiced a very similar opinion. Morgause glared at him.

"Be silent!"

Cenred frowned at her, although Morgause paid him no attention, her eyes were fixed firmly on the action in front of them. Arthur staggered as Mordred delivered a hard blow, sending ripples of pain up Arthur's arm. He stepped back, sliding on the rocks and only just ducking away as Mordred followed up, lunging at him. Arthur shifted again and then blinked, shaking his head as his mind suddenly seemed to fill with fog. He stumbled back, and blinked to clear his mind.

"Arthur!" Merlin shouted the warning and then raised his hand in an attempt to deflect Mordred. Arthur rolled away as he realised Mordred was seconds away from slicing into him. Merlin's eyes rolled in his head and he sagged down at the magical backlash. Arthur stumbled to his knees.

"Merlin!"

Gwaine caught him before he could fall, but Merlin's head whipped to the side, staring off towards the edge of the lake and he glared at the three hooded figures grouped there. Arthur frowned as he saw the same thing, having watched Merlin's stumble and turn his head.

"What the hell?" Arthur murmured.

"The Disir," Mordred announced gleefully. "They judged you, and you died. They'll judge you now."

Arthur looked up, then back to the three people standing on the edge of the lake. He felt another wave through his mind and he tried to fight it off.

"Arthur!" he heard Merlin's voice call his name again. Arthur frowned as he looked down into the lake. His vision was still a little blurred but the swirl of water was most definitely real. Arthur rose up, and Mordred recoiled as the figure launched up from out of the water. For a moment she just shimmered, but then Arthur caught sight of dark brown hair, and a girl's face before the water spread behind her into wings. She gave a shriek of anger, her body lurching forward, muscles rippling as she morphed into a sleek dark cat. Arthur blinked as he stared.

"The Bastet," he murmured to himself. He watched her crash back into the lake, sending a wave across the water. It struck the far bank, splashing up towards the Disir causing them to back off. Another wave of water surged up the causeway, Mordred stepped back to avoid the wash. Arthur didn't need to move.

For a moment it froze the action. Arthur watched the water calm again as she disappeared and the three figures on the bank faded away into the shadows. Arthur could still see them but their movement seemed to hint that they had no intention of taking on the Lady Of The Lake.

Arthur paused, still thinking, his mind frantically planning. He flexed his hand again, the Disir had appeared after he had bled onto the ground.

If he started to bleed, on the sacred ground of Avalon, then something would open up, and it wouldn't be good for the world. Arthur guessed it wouldn't be much good for him either. The only problem was it made him rather reluctant to stab Mordred, because that presumably had the same reaction. But then again, they had both been stabbed the last time, and the world remained in situ, so something must have gone right. He didn't think, on that subject, there was any reasoning with Mordred. Arthur had to stop this fight without shedding any blood.

Mordred dived in to attack again, with Arthur again trying to fend him off, he took a step back, loose stones shifting under his feet and Arthur fell backwards, his back scraping against the rock of the causeway. Somewhere in the back of his mind he registered the shouts of horror from the island and he felt a swirl of air, realising how close to the edge he was. Mordred stepped over him, lifting his sword. Arthur knew he had seconds to calculate the best way to go.

In the end he did the only thing that came to mind. When he considered that moment in the future, with foresight, he wondered if the hint of what he needed to do had already been put there, by Merlin dunking him in the water to retrieve the sword. If he couldn't spill blood then he had to think of something else, and it seemed obvious.

As Mordred drew back his sword Arthur kicked out, off-balancing the other man, and sending him pitching forward. His sword flew from his hands, skittering across the stones before dropping over the side into the water. A moment later Mordred followed crashing face down, the momentum made him roll and limbs flailing he went over the side. Arthur heard a splash, which was the moment it occurred to him that Mordred was wearing the same heavy style of armour that he was.

Arthur instinctively rolled, putting his head over the edge of the causeway. Mordred hung onto a small outcrop, desperately trying to hoist himself up. Arthur wriggled further over and held his hand out.

"Grab on."

Mordred looked up with wide eyes, staring at the hand in surprise. He stared at Arthur's face in shock.

"Don't be stupid, just grab on!" Arthur ordered him, making sure his other hand was carefully holding onto the side, the last thing he needed was to be dragged in as well. For a few more seconds Mordred hesitated, until the hand clinging to the side slipped. He struggled to regain purchase and threw his other hand up to Arthur. Arthur managed to grab on, and then much to his relief he felt someone latch onto his armour, pulling him back slightly, so he could release his other hand in an attempt to grab Mordred.

"Oh crap! No!" he yelled at the water as Mordred's eyes widened, and the Lady Of The Lake made her presence felt again. The water surged up, so violently that it splashed Arthur in the face; he spluttered in shock and felt his grip slip. Reaching down he blindly struggled to regain a hold on the flailing youth but whoever had hold of him clearly had no intention of Arthur risking himself more than he already was. Mordred's hand slipped away from him and Arthur felt himself hauled up the bank, dragged to safety. Percival and Leon both roughly manhandled him up, so he ended up rather ungracefully sprawled in both of their laps. Gwaine, on all fours, peered over the edge, with Merlin stood beside him watching with some satisfaction. Arthur turned his head to look across into the forest, but the Disir had already melted into the shadows.

"No!" Morgause screamed from across the causeway, stepping forwards.

Merlin tensed, raising his hands ready for whatever she intended to do.

"I wouldn't bother," Arthur said, coughing slightly as he swallowed some water. He had already seen the man behind Morgause and he knew Cenred well enough.

He heard several gasps of surprise but Arthur knew, in the end, he had engineered what happened. Cenred always carried a knife and he knew how to use it. Without preamble he grabbed Morgause by the chin, hauled her back and slit her throat open. Arthur grimaced while the others around him were reaching for their guns, even Gwen had somehow been armed. However, Cenred merely let the bleeding corpse drop and let his gaze drift to Arthur. One inclination of his head meant everything. Arthur nodded and with that Cenred turned to leave. The men in the hills would do the same. Morgause had sought out the same man, and the same army, and Arthur could argue that Cenred already knew what the blonde woman was capable of, but Arthur had told him what had been done centuries ago.

"Oh my God!" Morgana said, stepping forward.

"Wait a minute!" Arthur snapped. Blood had been spilled, it wasn't as significant as his or Mordred's but something was likely to happen.

"What is that?" Merlin asked.

"I felt it when I cut my hand through the glove. Something to do with blood, this could cause something, but she's not quite on the same level. Is there anything we can do with the energy that is released."

"Something big?" Gwaine asked as the ground by Morgause started to shake.

"Really big?" Lancelot asked.

"Merlin, think of something. What needs a lot of power?" Arthur asked, his mind struggling to think of something, he had it in his mind, he just for a moment couldn't find it.

"Erm...?"

"World peace?" Percival said.

"Don't be silly," Arthur said. "Big spell, here and now what can we do."

"What's wrong with world peace?"

"Kind of spread out, it might only go so far and could end up with local people really, really liking each other," Merlin said.

"What happens if this just kind of bursts?" Arthur asked.

"A lot of magic in the world, uncontrolled," Morgana said. "We need something that needs power, that means a huge sacrifice."

"Like... like making someone pregnant, giving a life." Arthur said. He spoke slowly. "Or healing someone, saving their life."

"We could try that sort of spell Arthur," Morgana said, catching on. "But again the spread of it wouldn't work."

"It might, if we heal someone relevant first. You're not stupid Merlin," Arthur said. "You just often seem to miss the point of things. Call the dragon."

"How can she carry the spell?"

"She's not carrying it you idiot, she's the recipient. She's damaged and can't heal herself. Use this magic, she's a creature of it, if there is any left over then she can probably store it, or disperse it safely. Thank you Boris!" Arthur yelled. The wyvern stood on the causeway his head in the air, neck extended bellowing his heart out.

"Merlin! Dragon! Now! Idiot!"

Arthur yelled as he slowly got to his feet, scrabbling off Percival and Leon. He saw Merlin's face convulse with anger, which was down to the last word, Merlin didn't like being called an idiot, although he probably had no idea why. Merlin roared out, calling Aithusa and Arthur issued enough instructions to get the dragon to land; and Arthur thought that nature might just have taken it's course, with steroids on top.

The dragon convulsed, dropping heavily and struggling for breath. She shifted her wings upwards to help her breathe and they saw them slowly expand, spreading outwards the skin and tendons that made the limbs up strengthened and she stretched out, flexing her back and almost purring with contentment, and then she started to grow.

"Do dragon's get growth spurts?" Gwaine asked.

"They do now," Arthur told him, watching as the white dragon stretched and seemed to move comfortably into what seemed to be double her original side.

"I'm missing something!" Merlin snapped eyes glowing, Morgana's did the same, her hand latched tightly with Merlin's.

"As you do," Arthur said.

Merlin grasped the last little piece of magic, not daring to lose it as he added one last thing.

"Speak."

Aithusa reared back, coughed, producing a thick band of smoke, she shook her head and dropped it dramatically.

"My Lord."

"Cool," Gwaine said. Aithusa dropped her head further, putting it to rest by Arthur's foot.

"Your Majesty."

"Stop doing that," Arthur said.

The dragon's head came up immediately, looking around, flexing the huge wings and shifting on all four feet, stretching and swinging her tail. Then the dragon giggled.

"Better?" Arthur asked.

"Better," Aithusa confirmed. The wings beat in the air, the body flexed and the dragon took off.

"Are you still holding magic?" Merlin asked.

"Nothing I can't handle."

"Put it somewhere good," Morgana said.

Aithusa turned in the air, inclining her head down to Morgana before lifting up and flying off. Boris launched up into the air, going about six feet up before dropping down and giving a mournful huff.

"So, I'm keeping you," Arthur said. Boris huffed again, this time happily and he trotted over to Arthur sniffing his hand and rubbing his head against him.

"There are bound to be dragon sighting all over the world, I had better warn Gaius," Uther said.

"Could be worse. He doesn't have to bury the body," Arthur said nodding at Morgause.

"Are Cenred's men gone?" Lancelot asked.

"I think the dragon might have helped," Leon mused.

"No, Cenred shifted them out, he was on the losing side and I warned him what happened the last time he allied with Morgause; she killed him. He took this opportunity as time for payback. Even if they won, he would have tried to kill her."

"The army, his kingdom. I remember the story," Morgana said.

"They are just stories, we remember that," Arthur said. "Like you said, we might have the heritage, but that does not make us those people, I think the bad side might have forgot that."

"You never know, they might be the good side, and we're the bad," Gwaine said. "OW!" he added as Percival punched him on the arm.

"We're good," Percival informed him firmly. Gwaine rubbed his now sore arm.

"OK."


	30. Epilogue

Arthur had wanted a night out, and what Arthur wanted, Arthur apparently got.

They had all gone down to commandeer several tables in the local pub, and Uther had put enough money behind the bar to appease the locals. Every drink was on him that night and the locals made much use of it, while satisfying their curiosity. Arthur had been asked about his mother and he had told the story without much fuss and to a good deal of shocked sympathy. Now he sat outside in the beer garden, wrapped up in two coats, as it was cold, while he looked at the sky and heard the sounds of the party behind him. Then a door creaked and Arthur smiled, he knew who was coming.

"Are you all right?"

"Perfectly fine, Merlin."

Merlin got up next to him to sit on the picnic table, watching as the white streak moved swiftly across the sky.

"She didn't go far," Merlin said.

"Can you blame her? Boris is such a house wyvern. He's been her only company."

"We're never going to have to worry about burglars."

Arthur sniggered into the thick material of Percival's fleece, which he had taken to put over his own. Merlin muttered under his breath and warm air swirled around them both. Arthur gave Merlin a reproachful look.

"No one will notice, it's not like a rampant serket," Merlin said.

"Okay."

"It's not out of control," Merlin reasoned.

"No, I think we contained the worst of it with Aithusa, although there have been a few things happening."

"Nothing we can't handle I guess," Merlin said.

"It seems to have happened backwards."

Merlin frowned curiously. "In what way."

"Well, last time my big battle was at the end of it, since I died at that point. This time it seems to have happened at the beginning, now I have just started to learn about it all, and I'm alive."

"It's not really that simple, Camelot continued after you, and then presumably morphed into Britain, as it is now," Merlin said.

"And Camelot wasn't needed anymore," Arthur said. "So why am I back now?"

"Well, we're supposed to bring the balance of magic back to the world, maybe we've done that again."

"With Aithusa?" Arthur pondered.

"We'll have to keep an eye on that, you didn't let it happen, what you were feeling when you were fighting Mordred."

Arthur looked at his hand, there was still a tiny scrape where his hand had bled, causing the magic to leak.

"I don't think I have to panic every time I cut myself. I think it was just at that place, at that moment, either of us bleeding would have unleashed something bad."

"So you didn't want to hurt him."

"No, I didn't even want him to drown."

"I don't think that was your choice?"

"Your girlfriend did that."

"My girlfriend?"

"The Lady Of The Lake, she was someone you lost, you told me. Old You."

"That is so weird; Old Me. I can't imagine being old."

"Yeah, you were a bit strange; but very you at the same time. That was where I was going, nothing to do with you now, it was Old You that wanted to see me. You waited for me, for centuries, then you knew I was about to be born, he saw me, Old You and then decided to become young you, somehow. I never had a choice, the rest of them kept appearing and you manoeuvred everything. I think you only did young you so I couldn't blame you."

"I don't sound very helpful."

"Help is not the issue, you built Avalon for me, and now it's redundant. What are we going to do now?"

Merlin looked up at the stars. "I suppose anything we want. Maybe Old Me made sure of that. It does sound like we were very busy as Young Us!"

"Yeah. This is your retirement plan," Arthur said.

"Hey! Have you guys seen my fleece!" Percival bellowed from the doorway.

"Yes, I'm wearing it over mine! It was cold out here!"

"Fine! Just borrow my stuff, I don't get enough of that from Gwaine!"

Arthur turned to watch him slam the door. "Yeah, cos you don't like showing off those biceps. In my flashback I don't think I ever saw him with sleeves."

Merlin giggled, then he sobered. "I'm sorry, if you thought I abandoned you. Old Me abandoning you."

"You're a sneaky git," Arthur said as he slowly peeled Percival's fleece off his own so he could give it back. "All that memory you gave me, that I got when I put on that crown, that told me just what you did. You're not stupid; in this lifetime I am supposed to appreciate you."

"By the sound of it what we have now are the only lifetimes we have left. The pair of us, the rest of them may go on."

"So, we make the most if it?"

Merlin nudged his shoulder against Arthur's.

"Yeah, we do."


End file.
